尬 meaning and stroke order
Awkward, embarrassed; to limp, to stagger
How to write 尬, stroke by stroke
7 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
Meaning of 尬
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) embarrassing; awkward
How 尬 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Lame.
尢 gives the meaning and 介 hints at the sound.
Radical: 尢 (weak), shared by 7 characters on this site.
How to remember 尬
The left part 尢 means lame, like a leg that cannot walk straight, and 介 (jiè) gives the sound. Picture someone limping in the middle of a room while everyone watches: that is an awkward moment.
尬 (gà) is a bound form and almost always appears in the word 尴尬 (gāngà), meaning awkward or embarrassed. It can describe a person, a situation, or an atmosphere. Example: 气氛有点尴尬。(Qìfēn yǒudiǎn gāngà.) The atmosphere is a bit awkward.
Common mistake: Learners often write the inner part as 价 or forget that 介 sits inside the hooked 尢 stroke, which wraps around it. Also keep the tones straight: 尴 is first tone (gān) and 尬 is fourth tone (gà).
Common words with 尬
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 尴尬 | gāngà | awkward; embarrassed | HSK 7-9 |
尬 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 尬
How many strokes are in 尬?
尬 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 尬 mean?
尬 (gà) means awkward, embarrassed; to limp, to stagger. A common word with it is 尴尬 (gāngà), meaning "awkward; embarrassed".
How do you pronounce 尬?
尬 is pronounced gà, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 尬?
The radical of 尬 is 尢, which carries the idea of "weak". Dictionaries list 尬 under this radical.
Is 尬 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 尬 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Can 尬 be used by itself?
In standard Chinese it is not used alone, only in 尴尬. In internet slang you may see 尬 on its own, as in 尬聊 (gà liáo), forced awkward small talk.
What is the difference between 尴尬 and 不好意思?
尴尬 describes an awkward feeling or situation, like 我很尴尬 (I feel awkward). 不好意思 (bù hǎoyìsi) is mostly a polite phrase for excuse me or sorry, or for feeling shy.