漢 meaning and stroke order
Chinese people; Chinese language
How to write 漢, stroke by stroke
14 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 漢
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- man
How 漢 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. The Han 𦰩 river 氵.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 漢
The water radical 氵 on the left points to a river: 漢 (hàn) was the name of the Han River, written with 氵 plus the right side 堇. The Han dynasty took its name from the region of that river, and that is why 漢 came to mean the Chinese people and their language.
漢 is the traditional form. In mainland China you will usually see the simplified 汉, as in 汉字 (Hànzì) and 汉语 (Hànyǔ). It also means a man, often with a tough or rough feel, as in 男子汉 (nánzǐhàn) and 老汉 (lǎohàn). Example: 他是个硬汉。(Tā shì ge yìnghàn.) He is a tough guy.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes confuse 漢 with 難 (nán, difficult) or 歎 (tàn, sigh). These share a similar part, but only 漢 has the water radical 氵 on the left. Also remember the fourth tone, hàn, not the second tone hán as in 寒 (hán, cold).
Common words with 漢
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 漢字 | Hànzì | Chinese character(s) | HSK 1 |
| 漢語 | Hànyǔ | Chinese language | HSK 1 |
| 老漢 | lǎohàn | old man; I (an old man referring to himself) | HSK 7-9 |
| 漢堡 | Hànbǎo | (loanword) hamburger | |
| 流浪漢 | liúlànghàn | tramp; wanderer | |
| 男子漢 | nánzǐhàn | man (i.e. manly, masculine) | |
| 硬漢 | yìnghàn | man of steel; unyielding, tough guy | |
| 漢堡包 | hànbǎobāo | (loanword) hamburger | |
| 漢子 | hànzi | man; fellow | |
| 單身漢 | dānshēnhàn | bachelor; single man | |
| 好漢 | hǎohàn | hero; strong and courageous person | |
| 醉漢 | zuìhàn | intoxicated man; drunkard | |
| 漢奸 | hànjiān | traitor (to China) | |
| 羅漢 | luóhàn | (Buddhism) arhat (abbr. for 阿羅漢|阿罗汉[a1 luo2 han4]) |
Questions about 漢
How many strokes are in 漢?
漢 is written with 14 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 漢 mean?
漢 (hàn) means Chinese people; Chinese language. A common word with it is 汉字 (Hànzì), meaning "Chinese character(s)".
How do you pronounce 漢?
漢 is pronounced hàn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 漢?
The radical of 漢 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 漢 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 漢?
漢 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 汉, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Why is 漢 used in the word for hamburger?
汉堡 (hànbǎo) is a sound loan from Hamburg. The character was chosen for its sound and has nothing to do with Chinese people here.
Does 漢 mean all Chinese people or only one ethnic group?
漢族 (Hànzú) refers specifically to the Han ethnic group, the majority in China. For Chinese people as a nation, 中國人 (Zhōngguórén) is more common, while 漢語 refers to the Chinese language.