单 meaning and stroke order
Bill; list; form
How to write 单, 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.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
Meaning of 单
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- bill
- list
- form
- single
- only
- sole
- used in 單于|单于[chan2 yu2]
How 单 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 丷 (kwukyel), shared by 8 characters on this site.
How to remember 单
Picture the two little dots of 丷 on top as two eyes peeking over a tall sheet of paper with one long line down the middle. That one sheet is a single list or form, like a 菜单 (càidān) menu.
单 (dān) shows up in two big groups of words: things meaning "single" or "simple", like 简单 (jiǎndān) and 单独 (dāndú), and things meaning a sheet or list, like 名单 (míngdān) and 菜单 (càidān). 服务员，请给我菜单。 (Fúwùyuán, qǐng gěi wǒ càidān.) Waiter, please give me the menu.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 单 with 草 or 早 because of the 十 at the bottom, or write the top as 艹. The top of 单 is two short dots 丷, and the middle is 日-like with the vertical stroke running all the way down through 十.
Common words with 单
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 名单 | míngdān | list of names | HSK 2 |
| 单位 | dānwèi | unit (of measure); unit (group of people as a whole) | HSK 2 |
| 菜单 | càidān | menu | HSK 2 |
| 简单 | jiǎndān | simple; not complicated | HSK 3 |
| 单元 | dānyuán | unit (forming an entity); element | HSK 3 |
| 单独 | dāndú | alone; by oneself | HSK 4 |
| 单纯 | dānchún | simple; pure | HSK 4 |
| 单调 | dāndiào | monotonous | HSK 4 |
| 单一 | dānyī | single; only | HSK 5 |
| 单打 | dāndǎ | singles (in sports) | HSK 6 |
| 孤单 | gūdān | lone; lonely | HSK 7-9 |
| 单身 | dānshēn | unmarried; single; alone | HSK 7-9 |
| 清单 | qīngdān | list of items | HSK 7-9 |
| 账单 | zhàngdān | bill | HSK 7-9 |
单 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 单
Learning 单 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 单
How many strokes are in 单?
单 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 单 mean?
单 (dān) means bill; list; form. A common word with it is 名单 (míngdān), meaning "list of names".
How do you pronounce 单?
单 is pronounced dān, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 单?
The radical of 单 is 丷, which carries the idea of "kwukyel". Dictionaries list 单 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 单?
The traditional form of 单 is 單. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 单 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 单 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 单 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
Is 单 ever read as something other than dān?
Yes. It is read chán in 单于 (chányú), the old title for a Xiongnu chieftain. You will mostly meet this in history texts, so dān is the reading for everyday use.
What does 单位 mean when Chinese people talk about work?
单位 (dānwèi) can mean a unit of measure, but it also means the organization or workplace a person belongs to. People may ask 你在哪个单位工作？ (Nǐ zài nǎge dānwèi gōngzuò?) Which organization do you work for?