添 meaning and stroke order
To add; to increase; to replenish
How to write 添, 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.
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Meaning of 添
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to add; to increase; to replenish
How 添 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water.
氵 gives the meaning and 忝 hints at the sound.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 添
添 is a pictophonetic character. The water radical 氵 on the left gives the meaning, so picture topping up a cup with more water. The right part 忝 (tiǎn) gives the sound tiān.
添 (tiān) means to add more of something to what is already there, like food, clothes, or trouble. It often appears in 添加 (tiānjiā, to add) and 增添 (zēngtiān, to add). Example: 给你添麻烦了。(Gěi nǐ tiān máfan le.) Sorry to have caused you trouble.
Common mistake: Learners often write the bottom of 忝 as 小 or as the heart 心. It is actually a variant heart form with four strokes, so check it carefully. Also keep the first tone tiān and do not confuse it with 天 (tiān, sky), which sounds the same.
Common words with 添
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 添加 | tiānjiā | to add; to increase | HSK 7-9 |
| 增添 | zēngtiān | to add; to increase | HSK 7-9 |
| 画蛇添足 | huàshé-tiānzú | lit. draw legs on a snake (idiom); fig. to ruin the effect by adding sth superfluous; to o | HSK 7-9 |
| 添麻烦 | tiānmáfan | to cause trouble for sb; to inconvenience | |
| 添乱 | tiānluàn | (coll.) to cause trouble for sb; to inconvenience |
添 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 添
How many strokes are in 添?
添 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 添 mean?
添 (tiān) means to add; to increase; to replenish. A common word with it is 添加 (tiānjiā), meaning "to add; to increase".
How do you pronounce 添?
添 is pronounced tiān, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 添?
The radical of 添 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 添 under this radical.
Is 添 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 添 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 添 and 加?
加 (jiā) is the general word for adding, and it is also used for addition in math. 添 (tiān) usually means adding more of something to an existing amount, as in 添饭 (tiān fàn, to get another serving of rice). 添 is not used for arithmetic.
What does 画蛇添足 mean and when do people use it?
画蛇添足 (huàshé-tiānzú) literally means drawing legs on a snake. People use it to say that someone added something unnecessary and spoiled the result. For example, you might say it about an essay with a pointless extra paragraph.