Hanzi Now
孱 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
孱 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
孱 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
孱 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
孱 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
孱 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
孱 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
孱 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
孱 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now

孱 Stroke Order — How to Write 孱

Stroke Order

孱 is written in 12 strokes, following the standard Chinese stroke order. Start from the radical 子, then complete the remaining strokes.

Stroke order matters in Chinese: it keeps the character balanced, and it is how dictionaries and handwriting input methods expect a character to be written.

孱 Radical and Character Components

Components:尸孨

孱 is an ideographic compound. Weak 孨 in body 尸.

Radical: 子 + 9 more strokes

孱 Pronunciation and Pinyin

  • chán
  • càn

Meanings of 孱 in Chinese

1

chán孱

Weak, frail; referring to someone or something lacking strength or power.
他从小体弱多病，显得十分孱弱。
He was sickly from a young age, appearing very frail.
Humble; insignificant; lowly (referring to status or ability).
尽管他的职位孱微，但他工作认真
Although his position is humble, he works diligently.
Distressed or in a difficult situation, often due to lack of resources or extreme poverty.
他们家的生活条件一直很孱窘，很难维持基本开销
Their family's living conditions have always been very distressed, making it difficult to cover basic expenses.
2

càn孱

Used only in the dialectal term 'càntóu' (孱头), referring to a weak and incompetent person.
他总是畏首畏尾，真是个孱头。
He is always timid and hesitant, truly a weakling.

Common Words and Phrases with 孱

1
chán孱ruò弱
Frail and weak.
这棵幼苗因为缺乏阳光而显得十分孱弱。
This seedling appears very frail due to lack of sunlight.
2
càn孱tou头
coward; weakling (derogatory)
别看他平时嗓门大，其实是个孱头，一遇到事就退缩了
Don't let his loud voice fool you; he's actually a spineless coward who backs down as soon as he encounters a problem.

More words with 孱

Idioms with 孱

Recommended tools

Bingo Cards

Picture and word Bingo for your class

Open the tool →

Stroke Order Animator

Turn a Chinese character or sentence into a GIF or MP4

Open the tool →

Writing Worksheets

Printable tracing sheets with a QR learning companion

Open the tool →

Picture Worksheets

Chinese and English fill-in vocabulary worksheets

Open the tool →

Questions about 孱

What does 孱 mean in Chinese?

孱 (chán) means “Weak, frail” in Chinese.

How do you pronounce 孱?

孱 has 2 pronunciations: chán, càn.

How many strokes does 孱 have?

孱 has 12 strokes.

How do you write 孱?

孱 is written in 12 strokes, starting from the radical 子. See the animated stroke order on this page.

What is the radical of 孱?

The radical of 孱 is 子, and 孱 is an ideographic compound.