掸 meaning and stroke order
To dust; a duster
How to write 掸, 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.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
Meaning of 掸
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to brush away
- to dust off
- brush
- duster
How 掸 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hand.
扌 gives the meaning and 单 hints at the sound.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 掸
The hand radical 扌 shows the action, and 单 (dān) gives the sound. Picture a single hand flicking a duster to brush dust away.
掸 (dǎn) means to lightly brush or flick dust off something, often clothes or furniture. It appears in words like 鸡毛掸子 (jīmáo dǎnzi, feather duster). Example: 他掸了掸身上的灰。(Tā dǎn le dǎn shēnshang de huī.) He brushed the dust off himself.
Common mistake: Learners often read 掸 with the first tone like 单 (dān), but the usual reading is third tone dǎn. It is also easy to confuse with 弹 (tán, dàn), which has the bow radical 弓 instead of the hand 扌.
Questions about 掸
How many strokes are in 掸?
掸 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 掸 mean?
掸 (dǎn) means to dust; a duster.
How do you pronounce 掸?
掸 is pronounced dǎn, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 掸?
The radical of 掸 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 掸 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 掸?
The traditional form of 掸 is 撣. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 掸 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 掸 and 擦 (cā)?
掸 means to flick or brush dust off lightly, often with a duster or your hand. 擦 means to wipe or rub, usually with a cloth, to clean a surface more thoroughly.
Why is 掸 often repeated as 掸掸 or 掸了掸?
Repeating a verb in Chinese makes the action sound quick and casual. 掸掸 or 掸了掸 suggests a few light brushes, which fits how people dust off clothes.