濫 meaning and stroke order
To flood, to overflow; excessive
How to write 濫, stroke by stroke
17 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 濫
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- overflowing
- excessive
- indiscriminate
How 濫 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water.
氵 gives the meaning and 監 hints at the sound.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 濫
濫 is water 氵 on the left plus 監 (jiān) on the right, which gives the sound. Picture water spilling over the edge of a basin you were supposed to be watching, so it overflows and becomes too much.
濫 (simplified 滥) means overflowing, and by extension excessive or indiscriminate. It mostly appears in compound words such as 泛滥 (fànlàn) and 滥用 (lànyòng). Example: 不要滥用权力。(Bú yào lànyòng quánlì.) Do not abuse power.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes read 濫 as jiān because of the 監 component, but the correct reading is làn, with a falling fourth tone. Do not confuse it with 烂 (làn, rotten), which sounds the same but has the fire radical 火.
Common words with 濫
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 濫用 | lànyòng | to misuse; to abuse | HSK 7-9 |
| 泛濫 | fànlàn | to overflow; to inundate; to flood; (fig.) to proliferate unchecked | HSK 7-9 |
| 陳詞濫調 | chéncílàndiào | cliché; commonplace | |
| 下三濫 | xiàsānlàn | riffraff; scum | |
| 濫殺無辜 | lànshāwúgū | willfully slaughter the innocent (idiom) | |
| 濫交 | lànjiāo | to fall into bad company; to make acquaintances indiscriminately |
Questions about 濫
How many strokes are in 濫?
濫 is written with 17 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 濫 mean?
濫 (làn) means to flood, to overflow; excessive. A common word with it is 滥用 (lànyòng), meaning "to misuse; to abuse".
How do you pronounce 濫?
濫 is pronounced làn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 濫?
The radical of 濫 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 濫 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 濫?
濫 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 滥, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Does 滥 always have a negative meaning?
Almost always. It suggests doing something too much or without care, as in 滥杀无辜 (lànshāwúgū) and 滥交 (lànjiāo). Words like 泛滥 can describe real floods, but in figurative use they still imply something spreading out of control.
What does 陈词滥调 mean and when can I use it?
陈词滥调 (chéncílàndiào) means a cliché or worn-out phrase, literally old words and overused tunes. You can use it to criticize a speech or essay that says nothing new, for example 他的发言都是陈词滥调 (His speech was all clichés).