纏 meaning and stroke order
To wrap, to entangle; to involve; to bother, to annoy
How to write 纏, stroke by stroke
21 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 纏
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to wind around
- to wrap round
- to coil
- tangle
- to involve
- to bother
How 纏 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Thread.
糹 gives the meaning and 廛 hints at the sound.
Radical: 糹 (silk), shared by 126 characters on this site.
How to remember 纏
The silk radical 糹 on the left means thread, and 廛 (chán) on the right gives the sound. Picture thread winding round and round, which is exactly what 纏 (chán) means: to wrap and entangle.
纏 is used for physically winding something, like tape or thread, and also for people or problems that cling to you and will not let go. In simplified Chinese it is written 缠, which is the form in most common words like 纠缠 (jiūchán) and 缠绕 (chánrào). Example: 他一直缠着我借钱。(Tā yìzhí chánzhe wǒ jiè qián.) He keeps pestering me to lend him money.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 缠 (chán) with 绕 (rào). 绕 is about going around something or taking a detour, while 缠 stresses being tightly wrapped or stuck. Also keep the second tone in chán, not chǎn.
Common words with 纏
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 糾纏 | jiūchán | to be in a tangle; to nag | HSK 7-9 |
| 難纏 | nánchán | (usu. of people) difficult; demanding | |
| 纏身 | chánshēn | (of an illness, debt etc) to plague one; to bog one down; to preoccupy one | |
| 纏繞 | chánrào | twisting; to twine | |
| 纏綿 | chánmián | touching (emotions); lingering (illness) | |
| 糾纏不清 | jiūchánbùqīng | hopelessly muddled; impossible to unravel | |
| 死纏爛打 | sǐchánlàndǎ | (coll.) to pester; to harass |
Questions about 纏
How many strokes are in 纏?
纏 is written with 21 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 纏 mean?
纏 (chán) means to wrap, to entangle; to involve; to bother, to annoy. A common word with it is 纠缠 (jiūchán), meaning "to be in a tangle; to nag".
How do you pronounce 纏?
纏 is pronounced chán, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 纏?
The radical of 纏 is 糹, which carries the idea of "silk". Dictionaries list 纏 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 纏?
纏 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 缠, used in mainland China and Singapore.
How do you say someone is hard to deal with using 缠?
Use 难缠 (nánchán), as in 这个客户很难缠 (zhège kèhù hěn nánchán), "this client is really difficult." It usually describes demanding or persistent people.
Does 缠绵 (chánmián) have a positive or negative meaning?
It can be either. For feelings and love it suggests something tender and lingering, while for an illness it means it drags on and will not go away.