慢 meaning and stroke order
Slow
How to write 慢, 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 慢
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- slow
How 慢 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Heart.
忄 gives the meaning and 曼 hints at the sound.
Radical: 忄 (heart), shared by 167 characters on this site.
How to remember 慢
慢 combines the heart radical 忄 (meaning) with 曼 (màn), which gives the sound. Picture a calm, unhurried heart that takes its time, and you get "slow."
慢 is an everyday adjective for slow speed, and it also works as an adverb before verbs, often doubled as 慢慢. A host says 慢走 (mànzǒu) to a departing guest, meaning "take care" or "go safely." Example: 请说慢一点。(Qǐng shuō màn yìdiǎn.) Please speak a little more slowly.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 慢 with 漫 (màn, overflowing, as in 漫画 "comics"). They sound the same, but 慢 has the heart radical 忄 and 漫 has the water radical 氵. Another mistake is saying 很慢说. The correct forms are 说得很慢 or 慢慢说.
Common words with 慢
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 慢慢 | mànmàn | slowly; gradually | HSK 3 |
| 慢车 | mànchē | local bus or train; slow train with many stops | HSK 6 |
| 慢慢来 | mànmàn lái | take your time; take it easy | HSK 7-9 |
| 傲慢 | àomàn | arrogant; haughty | HSK 7-9 |
| 缓慢 | huǎnmàn | slow; unhurried; sluggish | HSK 7-9 |
| 慢性 | mànxìng | slow and patient; chronic (disease) | HSK 7-9 |
| 怠慢 | dàimàn | to slight; to neglect | HSK 7-9 |
| 慢走 | mànzǒu | Stay a bit!; Wait a minute! | |
| 慢跑 | mànpǎo | jogging; to jog | |
| 慢用 | mànyòng | same as 慢慢吃[man4 man4 chi1] | |
| 放慢 | fàngmàn | to reduce the pace (of movements, steps etc) | |
| 且慢 | qiěmàn | to wait a moment; do not go too soon | |
| 减慢 | jiǎnmàn | to slow down | |
| 慢吞吞 | màntūntūn | very slow; exasperatingly slow |
慢 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 慢
How many strokes are in 慢?
慢 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 慢 mean?
慢 (màn) means slow. A common word with it is 慢慢 (mànmàn), meaning "slowly; gradually".
How do you pronounce 慢?
慢 is pronounced màn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 慢?
The radical of 慢 is 忄, which carries the idea of "heart". Dictionaries list 慢 under this radical.
Is 慢 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 慢 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
What does 慢慢来 mean and when do people say it?
慢慢来 (mànmàn lái) means "take your time" or "no rush." People say it to reassure someone who is nervous or hurrying, for example a learner struggling with a task.
Why does 傲慢 mean arrogant if 慢 means slow?
In older usage 慢 could also mean careless or disrespectful toward others. That sense survives in words like 傲慢 (àomàn, arrogant) and 怠慢 (dàimàn, to neglect a guest), so watch the context.