痰 meaning and stroke order
Phlegm; spittle
How to write 痰, stroke by stroke
13 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 痰
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- phlegm
- spittle
How 痰 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Sickness.
疒 gives the meaning and 炎 hints at the sound.
Radical: 疒 (sickness), shared by 127 characters on this site.
How to remember 痰
The sickness radical 疒 covers 炎 (yán), which also gives a hint of the sound. Picture an inflamed, sick throat under the sickness roof producing phlegm.
痰 (tán) refers to phlegm or mucus coughed up from the throat or lungs. It appears in medical talk and on public signs. Example: 请勿随地吐痰。(Qǐng wù suídì tǔtán.) Please do not spit on the ground.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes read 痰 as yán because of 炎, but the correct reading is tán with a rising second tone. Do not confuse it with 谈 (tán, to talk), which sounds the same but uses the speech radical 讠.
Common words with 痰
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 吐痰 | tǔtán | to spit; to expectorate |
痰 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 痰
How many strokes are in 痰?
痰 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 痰 mean?
痰 (tán) means phlegm; spittle. A common word with it is 吐痰 (tǔtán), meaning "to spit; to expectorate".
How do you pronounce 痰?
痰 is pronounced tán, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 痰?
The radical of 痰 is 疒, which carries the idea of "sickness". Dictionaries list 痰 under this radical.
Is 痰 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 痰 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 痰 and 口水?
痰 is thick phlegm from the throat or lungs, often linked to illness. 口水 (kǒushuǐ) is ordinary saliva in the mouth.
How do you say you have phlegm when you see a doctor?
You can say 我有痰 (wǒ yǒu tán), I have phlegm. Doctors may also ask 有没有痰 (yǒu méiyǒu tán), do you have any phlegm.