嘆 meaning and stroke order
To sigh, to admire
How to write 嘆, stroke by stroke
14 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 嘆
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to sigh
- to exclaim
How 嘆 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Mouth.
口 gives the meaning and 堇 hints at the sound.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 嘆
嘆 is a pictophonetic character. The mouth 口 on the left shows the meaning, a sound coming out of your mouth, and 堇 (jǐn) on the right gives a hint of the sound. Picture a mouth letting out a long sigh next to a heavy block of earth, the weight on your chest.
嘆 is the traditional form, and in mainland simplified Chinese it is written 叹. It rarely stands alone. It appears in words for both sad sighing, like 叹气 (tànqì) and 叹息 (tànxī), and admiring exclamations, like 赞叹 (zàntàn) and 惊叹 (jīngtàn). Example: 他看着窗外叹了一口气。(Tā kànzhe chuāngwài tànle yì kǒu qì.) He looked out the window and heaved a sigh.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 嘆 with 難 (nán, difficult) or 漢 (hàn), because they share a similar right side. Check the left part: only 嘆 has the mouth 口. Also keep the fourth tone, tàn, not tān.
Common words with 嘆
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 嘆氣 | tànqì | to sigh; to heave a sigh | HSK 6 |
| 驚嘆 | jīngtàn | to exclaim in admiration; a gasp of surprise | HSK 7-9 |
| 感嘆 | gǎntàn | to sigh (with feeling); to lament | HSK 7-9 |
| 讚嘆 | zàntàn | to exclaim in admiration | HSK 7-9 |
| 贊嘆不已 | zàntàn-bùyǐ | (idiom) to be full of praise and admiration; to marvel endlessly; to be in awe | HSK 7-9 |
| 嘆息 | tànxī | to sigh; to gasp (in admiration) | |
| 嘆為觀止 | tànwéiguānzhǐ | (idiom) to gasp in amazement; to acclaim as the peak of perfection | |
| 詠嘆調 | yǒngtàndiào | aria |
Questions about 嘆
How many strokes are in 嘆?
嘆 is written with 14 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 嘆 mean?
嘆 (tàn) means to sigh, to admire. A common word with it is 叹气 (tànqì), meaning "to sigh; to heave a sigh".
How do you pronounce 嘆?
嘆 is pronounced tàn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 嘆?
The radical of 嘆 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 嘆 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 嘆?
嘆 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 叹, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Does 叹 mean sighing from sadness or from admiration?
It can mean either, and the word around it decides. 叹气 (tànqì) is usually a sigh of frustration or sadness. 赞叹 (zàntàn) and 惊叹 (jīngtàn) express amazement and praise.
What does the measure word look like with 叹气?
People usually say 叹了一口气 (tànle yì kǒu qì), using 口 as the measure for one breath. You can also say 叹了口气 without 一 in casual speech.