幹 meaning and stroke order
Arid, dry; to oppose; to offend; to invade
How to write 幹, stroke by stroke
13 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 幹
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- tree trunk
- main part of sth
- to manage
- to work
- to do
- capable
How 幹 is built
Pictographic character. Sunlight 龺 suggests "dry"; a club 人干 suggests "invade".
Radical: 干 (arid), shared by 5 characters on this site.
How to remember 幹
On the left, 龺 shows the sun rising through plants, a picture of heat that dries things out. On the right, a person 人 holds a club 干, ready to go out and get things done, so think of 幹 (gàn) as a strong person doing the main work.
幹 is the traditional form of 干 in the gàn senses: to do, to work, a trunk or main part, and capable. It appears in everyday words like 幹活 (gànhuó, to work) and 幹部 (gànbù, cadre). Example: 你在幹什麼？(Nǐ zài gàn shénme?) What are you doing?
Common mistake: In simplified Chinese, 幹 (gàn, to do), 乾 (gān, dry) and 干 all merged into 干, so learners writing traditional text often use 幹 where 乾 is needed. Write 乾淨 (gānjìng, clean), not 幹淨. Also keep the fourth tone gàn for the verb, since gān means dry.
Common words with 幹
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 幹什麼 | gàn shénme | what are you doing?; what's he up to? | HSK 1 |
| 幹活兒 | gànhuór | erhua variant of 幹活|干活[gan4 huo2] | HSK 2 |
| 幹嗎 | gànmá | variant of 幹嘛|干嘛[gan4 ma2] | HSK 3 |
| 能幹 | nénggàn | capable; competent | HSK 4 |
| 幹部 | gànbù | cadre; official | HSK 7-9 |
| 幹事 | gànshi | administrator; executive secretary | HSK 7-9 |
| 骨幹 | gǔgàn | diaphysis (long segment of a bone); fig. backbone | HSK 7-9 |
| 說幹就幹 | shuō gàn jiù gàn | to do what needs to be done, without delay | HSK 7-9 |
| 幹嘛 | gànmá | what are you doing?; whatever for? | |
| 幹掉 | gàndiào | to get rid of | |
| 幹活 | gànhuó | to work; to be employed | |
| 有何貴幹 | yǒuhéguìgàn | What (noble errand) brings you here?; May I help you? | |
| 對著幹 | duìzhegàn | to adopt confrontational posture; to meet head-on | |
| 樹幹 | shùgàn | tree trunk |
Questions about 幹
How many strokes are in 幹?
幹 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 幹 mean?
幹 (gàn) means arid, dry; to oppose; to offend; to invade. A common word with it is 干什么 (gàn shénme), meaning "what are you doing?; what's he up to?".
How do you pronounce 幹?
幹 is pronounced gàn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 幹?
The radical of 幹 is 干, which carries the idea of "arid". Dictionaries list 幹 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 幹?
幹 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 干, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 幹 rude in Taiwan or Hong Kong?
幹 is a normal word in phrases like 幹嘛 (gànmá, what for) and 能幹 (nénggàn, capable). Said alone as an exclamation, though, it is a common swear word in Taiwan, so be careful with it in isolation.
What is the difference between 幹 and 做 for 'to do'?
Both can mean to do or to work. 做 (zuò) is more neutral and is used for making things, as in 做飯 (zuòfàn, to cook). 幹 sounds more colloquial and energetic, as in 說幹就幹 (shuō gàn jiù gàn, to get to work right away).