案 meaning and stroke order
File, legal case; bench, table
How to write 案, stroke by stroke
10 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 案
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (legal) case
- incident
- record
- file
- table
How 案 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Wood.
木 gives the meaning and 安 hints at the sound.
Radical: 木 (tree), shared by 388 characters on this site.
How to remember 案
案 is 安 (ān) on top of 木 (mù, wood). Picture a wooden table where you sit in peace (安) to work through your files and cases.
On its own 案 means a legal case or incident, and it appears in many common words like 答案 (dá'àn, answer), 方案 (fāng'àn, plan) and 档案 (dàng'àn, file). Example: 警察破案了。(Jǐngchá pò'àn le.) The police solved the case.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 案 with 安 (ān, peaceful) because they sound alike. 案 is fourth tone and has 木 at the bottom, while 安 is first tone with no 木. Also do not mix it up with 按 (àn, to press), which has the hand radical 扌 on the left.
Common words with 案
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 答案 | dá'àn | answer; solution | HSK 4 |
| 方案 | fāng'àn | plan; program (for action etc) | HSK 4 |
| 图案 | tú'àn | design; pattern | HSK 4 |
| 档案 | dàng'àn | file; record; archive | HSK 6 |
| 案件 | ànjiàn | case; instance | HSK 7-9 |
| 破案 | pò'àn | to solve a criminal case | HSK 7-9 |
| 草案 | cǎo'àn | draft (legislation, proposal etc) | HSK 7-9 |
| 个案 | gè'àn | individual case; special case | HSK 7-9 |
| 案子 | ànzi | long table; counter; (coll.) case (criminal, medical etc); matter; project; job | |
| 谋杀案 | móushā'àn | murder case | |
| 法案 | fǎ'àn | bill; proposed law | |
| 报案 | bào'àn | to report a case to the authorities | |
| 作案 | zuò'àn | to commit a crime | |
| 案例 | ànlì | case (of fraud, hepatitis, international cooperation etc); instance; example |
案 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 案
How many strokes are in 案?
案 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 案 mean?
案 (àn) means file, legal case; bench, table. A common word with it is 答案 (dá'àn), meaning "answer; solution".
How do you pronounce 案?
案 is pronounced àn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 案?
The radical of 案 is 木, which carries the idea of "tree". Dictionaries list 案 under this radical.
Is 案 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 案 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Does 案 still mean table in modern Chinese?
Mostly in fixed or literary words, such as 书案 (shū'àn, writing desk) or 拍案叫绝 (pāi àn jiào jué, to slap the table in admiration). In everyday speech people say 桌子 (zhuōzi) for table.
What is the difference between 案子 and 案件?
Both mean a case. 案子 (ànzi) is more casual and spoken, while 案件 (ànjiàn) is more formal and common in news and legal language.