灿 meaning and stroke order
Vivid, illuminating, brilliant
How to write 灿, stroke by stroke
7 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
Meaning of 灿
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- glorious
- bright
- brilliant
- lustrous
- resplendent
How 灿 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Fire.
火 gives the meaning and 山 hints at the sound.
Radical: 火 (fire), shared by 128 characters on this site.
How to remember 灿
Picture a fire 火 blazing on top of a mountain 山, lighting up the whole sky. That bright, brilliant glow is 灿 (càn). In the data, 火 gives the meaning of fire and light, and 山 is the sound part.
灿 almost never appears alone. It is used mainly in the word 灿烂 (cànlàn), which describes bright sunshine, glittering stars, or a beaming smile. Example: 她笑得很灿烂。(Tā xiào de hěn cànlàn.) She has a brilliant smile.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes read 灿 as shān because of the 山 component, but it is pronounced càn with a falling fourth tone. Also, do not confuse it with 灯 (dēng, lamp), which has 火 plus 丁 instead of 山.
Common words with 灿
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 灿烂 | cànlàn | to glitter; brilliant | HSK 7-9 |
灿 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 灿
How many strokes are in 灿?
灿 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 灿 mean?
灿 (càn) means vivid, illuminating, brilliant. A common word with it is 灿烂 (cànlàn), meaning "to glitter; brilliant".
How do you pronounce 灿?
灿 is pronounced càn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 灿?
The radical of 灿 is 火, which carries the idea of "fire". Dictionaries list 灿 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 灿?
The traditional form of 灿 is 燦. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 灿 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 灿 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 灿 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Can 灿烂 describe things other than light?
Yes. Besides sunlight and stars, 灿烂 is often used figuratively for a glorious history or culture, as in 灿烂的文化 (cànlàn de wénhuà), a splendid culture. It is also very common for smiles.
Is 灿 used in names?
Yes, 灿 is a fairly popular character in Chinese given names because it suggests brightness and a shining future. You may see names like 灿 or 灿阳.