桿 meaning and stroke order
Cane, pole, stick
How to write 桿, 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 桿
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- stick
- pole
- lever
- classifier for long objects such as guns
How 桿 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Wood.
木 gives the meaning and 旱 hints at the sound.
Radical: 木 (tree), shared by 388 characters on this site.
How to remember 桿
桿 combines 木 (wood) on the left with 旱 (hàn) on the right as a sound hint. Picture a long wooden pole drying out in a drought, standing straight and stiff.
桿 is the traditional form of 杆, and it is used for long rod-shaped things like poles, levers, and golf clubs. In the gǎn reading it also works as a classifier for long objects such as guns or pens. Example: 一桿槍 (yì gǎn qiāng) one gun.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 桿 with 趕 (gǎn, to hurry), which uses 走 instead of 木, or with 捍 (hàn, to defend), which uses the hand radical 扌. Remember that a pole is made of wood, so look for 木.
Common words with 桿
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 槓桿 | gànggǎn | lever; pry bar | |
| 鐵桿 | tiěgān | iron (golf club) | |
| 桿菌 | gǎnjūn | bacillus (any rod-shaped bacteria) | |
| 操縱桿 | cāozònggǎn | joystick; control lever | |
| 揮桿 | huīgān | swing (golf) |
Questions about 桿
How many strokes are in 桿?
桿 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 桿 mean?
桿 (gān) means cane, pole, stick. A common word with it is 杠杆 (gànggǎn), meaning "lever; pry bar".
How do you pronounce 桿?
桿 is pronounced gān, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 桿?
The radical of 桿 is 木, which carries the idea of "tree". Dictionaries list 桿 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 桿?
桿 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 杆, used in mainland China and Singapore.
When is it read gān and when is it read gǎn?
Gān is used for a tall standing pole, such as 旗桿 (qígān) flagpole or 電線桿 (diànxiàngān) utility pole. Gǎn is used for smaller rods you hold or a lever, as in 杠桿 (gànggǎn), and for the classifier use.
Why do the common words show 杆 instead of 桿?
杆 is the simplified form used in mainland China, while 桿 is used in Taiwan and Hong Kong for the pole and stick meanings. The words are the same, only the written form differs.