篡 meaning and stroke order
To sieze, to usurp
How to write 篡, stroke by stroke
16 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 篡
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to seize
- to usurp
- old variant of 篡[cuan4]
How 篡 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Private.
厶 gives the meaning and 算 hints at the sound.
Radical: 厶 (private), shared by 11 characters on this site.
How to remember 篡
篡 (cuàn) is 算 (suàn, to calculate) on top of 厶 (private). Someone who calculates for their own private gain schemes to seize what is not theirs.
篡 appears mostly in fixed words: 篡改 (cuàngǎi) means to tamper with or falsify, and 篡位 (cuànwèi) means to usurp a throne. Example: 他篡改了数据。(Tā cuàngǎile shùjù.) He falsified the data.
Common mistake: Learners often read 篡 as suàn because of its phonetic part 算, but the correct reading is cuàn with a fourth tone. Do not confuse it with 纂 (zuǎn, to compile), which has 糸 at the bottom instead of 厶.
Common words with 篡
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 篡改 | cuàngǎi | to tamper with; to falsify |
Questions about 篡
How many strokes are in 篡?
篡 is written with 16 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 篡 mean?
篡 (cuàn) means to sieze, to usurp. A common word with it is 篡改 (cuàngǎi), meaning "to tamper with; to falsify".
How do you pronounce 篡?
篡 is pronounced cuàn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 篡?
The radical of 篡 is 厶, which carries the idea of "private". Dictionaries list 篡 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 篡?
The traditional form of 篡 is 簒. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 篡 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 篡改 and 修改?
修改 (xiūgǎi) is a neutral word for revising or editing. 篡改 always implies changing something dishonestly, such as history, records, or a text, to deceive people.
Can 篡 be used alone in modern Chinese?
Rarely. In modern speech and writing it almost always appears in compounds like 篡改, 篡位, or 篡权 (cuànquán, to usurp power).