患 meaning and stroke order
To suffer (from illness); to contract (a disease); misfortune
How to write 患, stroke by stroke
11 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 患
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to suffer (from illness)
- to contract (a disease)
- misfortune
- trouble
- danger
- worry
How 患 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Heart.
心 gives the meaning and 串 hints at the sound.
Radical: 心 (heart), shared by 97 characters on this site.
How to remember 患
患 is 串 (chuàn, a string of things skewered together) sitting on top of 心 (xīn, heart). Picture a heart weighed down by a whole string of worries, and you have suffering and trouble. 串 also hints at the sound.
患 is mostly used in formal or medical contexts to mean contracting an illness, and in words for danger or trouble. You will see it constantly in 患者 (huànzhě, patient) and 患有 (huànyǒu, to suffer from). Example: 他患有高血压。(Tā huànyǒu gāoxuèyā.) He suffers from high blood pressure.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 患 (huàn) with 串 (chuàn) or 惠 (huì, kindness), which also has 心 at the bottom. Remember that 患 has the full 串 shape with two stacked 口 boxes and a vertical line through them.
Common words with 患
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 患者 | huànzhě | patient; sufferer | HSK 6 |
| 患有 | huànyǒu | to contract (an illness); to be afflicted with | HSK 7-9 |
| 患病 | huànbìng | to fall ill | HSK 7-9 |
| 隐患 | yǐnhuàn | a danger concealed within sth; hidden damage | HSK 7-9 |
| 病患 | bìnghuàn | illness; disease | |
| 患上 | huànshang | to come down with; to be afflicted with (an illness) | |
| 后患 | hòuhuàn | future trouble |
患 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 患
How many strokes are in 患?
患 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 患 mean?
患 (huàn) means to suffer (from illness); to contract (a disease); misfortune. A common word with it is 患者 (huànzhě), meaning "patient; sufferer".
How do you pronounce 患?
患 is pronounced huàn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 患?
The radical of 患 is 心, which carries the idea of "heart". Dictionaries list 患 under this radical.
Is 患 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 患 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 患者 and 病人?
Both mean patient. 病人 (bìngrén) is everyday and conversational, while 患者 (huànzhě) is more formal and common in hospitals, news, and medical writing.
Can 患 be used for non-medical worries?
Yes, in fixed expressions. 隐患 (yǐnhuàn) means a hidden danger and 后患 (hòuhuàn) means future trouble. The idiom 患得患失 (huàn dé huàn shī) describes someone anxious about gains and losses.