砍 meaning and stroke order
To chop; to cut down; to throw sth at sb
How to write 砍, stroke by stroke
9 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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- 9
Meaning of 砍
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to chop
- to cut down
- to throw sth at sb
How 砍 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Stone.
石 gives the meaning and 欠 hints at the sound.
Radical: 石 (stone), shared by 114 characters on this site.
How to remember 砍
砍 is a stone 石 (shí) tool on the left with 欠 (qiàn) on the right giving the sound. Picture an early stone axe swinging down to chop wood.
砍 means to chop with a swinging blow, usually with an axe or big knife, and it shows up in words like 砍伐 (kǎnfá, to cut down trees) and 砍刀 (kǎndāo, machete). In casual speech it can also mean to throw something at someone. Example: 他在山上砍树。(Tā zài shān shàng kǎn shù.) He is chopping trees on the mountain.
Common mistake: Learners often write the right side as 欠 correctly but swap the left for 木 or 石's lookalike 右, so check that the left is 石. Also do not use 砍 for fine cutting like slicing vegetables; that is 切 (qiē).
Common words with 砍
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 砍死 | kǎnsǐ | to hack to death; to kill with an ax | |
| 砍断 | kǎnduàn | to chop off | |
| 砍头 | kǎntóu | to decapitate; to behead | |
| 砍刀 | kǎndāo | machete | |
| 砍伐 | kǎnfá | to hew; to cut down |
砍 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 砍
How many strokes are in 砍?
砍 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 砍 mean?
砍 (kǎn) means to chop; to cut down; to throw sth at sb. A common word with it is 砍死 (kǎnsǐ), meaning "to hack to death; to kill with an ax".
How do you pronounce 砍?
砍 is pronounced kǎn, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 砍?
The radical of 砍 is 石, which carries the idea of "stone". Dictionaries list 砍 under this radical.
Is 砍 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 砍 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 砍价 mean?
砍价 (kǎnjià) means to haggle or bargain a price down, as if chopping the price. You will hear it at markets and in online shopping.
What is the difference between 砍 and 剪?
砍 is a hard chopping blow with an axe or large blade. 剪 (jiǎn) means to cut with scissors, like cutting hair or paper.