斩 meaning and stroke order
To behead (as form of capital punishment); to chop
How to write 斩, stroke by stroke
8 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
Meaning of 斩
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to behead (as form of capital punishment)
- to chop
How 斩 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Axe.
斤 gives the meaning and 车 hints at the sound.
Radical: 车 (cart), shared by 50 characters on this site.
How to remember 斩
斩 is built from 车 (chē, cart) and 斤 (jīn), which here means axe. Picture an axe 斤 swinging down beside a cart 车 to chop something off, and you have 斩, to chop or behead.
斩 is a formal or literary verb, mostly seen in set words like 斩首 (zhǎnshǒu, to behead) and 斩断 (zhǎnduàn, to cut off), and in the idiom 斩草除根. In everyday speech people use 砍 (kǎn) or 切 (qiē) for chopping. Example: 我们要斩断这种联系。(Wǒmen yào zhǎnduàn zhè zhǒng liánxì.) We must cut off this connection.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 斩 with 暂 (zàn, temporary) and 渐 (jiàn, gradually), which contain 斩 as a part but have different sounds and meanings. Also keep the third tone: it is zhǎn, not zhàn like 站 (station).
Common words with 斩
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 斩草除根 | zhǎncǎo-chúgēn | to cut weeds and eliminate the roots (idiom); to destroy root and branch; to eliminate com | HSK 7-9 |
| 斩首 | zhǎnshǒu | to behead; to decapitate | |
| 斩断 | zhǎnduàn | to cut off; to chop sth in half |
斩 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 斩
Learning 斩 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 斩
How many strokes are in 斩?
斩 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 斩 mean?
斩 (zhǎn) means to behead (as form of capital punishment); to chop. A common word with it is 斩草除根 (zhǎncǎo-chúgēn), meaning "to cut weeds and eliminate the roots (idiom); to destroy root and branch; to eliminate com".
How do you pronounce 斩?
斩 is pronounced zhǎn, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 斩?
The radical of 斩 is 车, which carries the idea of "cart". Dictionaries list 斩 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 斩?
The traditional form of 斩 is 斬. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 斩 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 斩 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 斩 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 斩草除根 mean and when is it used?
It literally means to cut the grass and pull out the roots. It describes getting rid of a problem completely so it cannot return, and it often sounds harsh or ruthless.
What is the difference between 斩 and 砍?
Both involve chopping, but 砍 (kǎn) is the everyday word, as in 砍树 (kǎn shù, to chop down a tree). 斩 sounds formal or historical and is tied to beheading or decisively cutting something off.