侃 meaning and stroke order
Upright and strong; amiable
How to write 侃, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 侃
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- upright and honest
- cheerful
- to chat idly
- to boast
- to talk smoothly
- old variant of 侃[kan3]
How 侃 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. As trustworthy 㐰 as spring-water 川.
Radical: 亻 (man), shared by 277 characters on this site.
How to remember 侃
A person 亻 whose mouth 口 lets words flow like a river 川. The etymology hint says this person is as trustworthy as spring water, so think of someone honest who talks freely and smoothly.
In modern Chinese 侃 (kǎn) mostly means to chat or talk big, especially in casual northern speech, and it appears in words like 调侃 (tiáokǎn, to tease) and 侃大山 (kǎn dàshān, to shoot the breeze). The older sense of upright and honest survives mainly in literary phrases. Example: 他们在院子里侃大山。(Tāmen zài yuànzi lǐ kǎn dàshān.) They are chatting idly in the courtyard.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes confuse 侃 with 砍 (kǎn, to chop) because they share the same sound and tone. Remember that 侃 has the person radical 亻 and is about talking, while 砍 has the stone radical 石 and is about cutting.
Common words with 侃
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
侃 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 侃
How many strokes are in 侃?
侃 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 侃 mean?
侃 (kǎn) means upright and strong; amiable. A common word with it is 调侃 (tiáokǎn), meaning "to ridicule; to tease".
How do you pronounce 侃?
侃 is pronounced kǎn, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 侃?
The radical of 侃 is 亻, which carries the idea of "man". Dictionaries list 侃 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 侃?
The traditional form of 侃 is 偘. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 侃 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 侃 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 侃 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 侃侃而谈 mean?
侃侃而谈 (kǎnkǎn ér tán) means to speak with confidence and ease, often at length. It is a positive description of someone who talks fluently and calmly.
Is 调侃 rude or friendly?
调侃 (tiáokǎn) is usually light teasing, not harsh insult. It can be friendly among people who know each other, but it can sting if the target is sensitive or if the joking goes too far.