感 meaning and stroke order
To feel; to move; to touch
How to write 感, 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 感
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to feel
- to move
- to touch
- to affect
- feeling
- emotion
How 感 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Two hearts 心 beating together 咸.
Radical: 心 (heart), shared by 97 characters on this site.
How to remember 感
感 is 咸 (xián) sitting on top of 心 (xīn, heart). The etymology hint pictures two hearts beating together, so 感 is what happens when something reaches your heart and you feel it.
感 rarely stands alone in modern speech. It mostly appears in words like 感觉 (gǎnjué, to feel), 感谢 (gǎnxiè, to thank) and 感动 (gǎndòng, to move emotionally). Example: 我很感动。(Wǒ hěn gǎndòng.) I am very touched.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 感 (gǎn) with 敢 (gǎn, to dare), which has the same sound and tone but no 心 at the bottom. Remember that feelings need a heart 心, while 敢 does not.
Common words with 感
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 感觉 | gǎnjué | feeling; impression; sensation; to feel; to perceive | HSK 2 |
| 感到 | gǎndào | to feel; to sense; to perceive | HSK 2 |
| 感谢 | gǎnxiè | to thank; to be grateful | HSK 2 |
| 感动 | gǎndòng | to move (sb); to touch (sb emotionally) | HSK 2 |
| 感受 | gǎnshòu | to sense; perception | HSK 3 |
| 感情 | gǎnqíng | emotion; sentiment; affection; feelings between two persons | HSK 3 |
| 情感 | qínggǎn | feeling; emotion | HSK 3 |
| 感冒 | gǎnmào | to catch cold; (common) cold | HSK 3 |
| 感兴趣 | gǎn xìngqù | to be interested (in sth) | HSK 4 |
| 敏感 | mǐngǎn | sensitive; susceptible | HSK 5 |
| 感想 | gǎnxiǎng | impressions; reflections | HSK 5 |
| 感人 | gǎnrén | touching; moving | HSK 6 |
| 流感 | liúgǎn | flu; influenza | HSK 6 |
| 感激 | gǎnjī | to be grateful; to appreciate | HSK 7-9 |
感 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 感
Learning 感 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 感
How many strokes are in 感?
感 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 感 mean?
感 (gǎn) means to feel; to move; to touch. A common word with it is 感觉 (gǎnjué), meaning "feeling; impression; sensation; to feel; to perceive".
How do you pronounce 感?
感 is pronounced gǎn, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 感?
The radical of 感 is 心, which carries the idea of "heart". Dictionaries list 感 under this radical.
Is 感 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 感 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.
What is the difference between 感觉 and 感到?
感到 (gǎndào) is a verb meaning to feel and is usually followed by an adjective or clause, as in 感到累 (gǎndào lèi, to feel tired). 感觉 (gǎnjué) can be a verb like 感到 but can also be a noun meaning a feeling or impression.
Why does 感冒 mean a cold?
感冒 (gǎnmào) uses 感 in its sense of being affected by something. It is the everyday word for catching a cold, as in 我感冒了 (wǒ gǎnmào le, I have a cold).