缠 meaning and stroke order
To wind around; to wrap round; to coil
How to write 缠, 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 缠
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to wind around
- to wrap round
- to coil
- tangle
- to involve
- to bother
How 缠 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Thread.
纟 gives the meaning and 㢆 hints at the sound.
Radical: 纟 (silk), shared by 143 characters on this site.
How to remember 缠
The silk radical 纟 means thread, and 㢆 gives the sound chán. Picture thread winding round and round something until it is tangled, which is what 缠 (chán) means.
缠 is used for physically wrapping or coiling, and also for people or problems that cling to you and won't let go. It appears often in words like 缠绕 (chánrào) and 纠缠 (jiūchán). Example: 他总是缠着我借钱。(Tā zǒngshì chánzhe wǒ jiè qián.) He keeps pestering me to lend him money.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 缠 (chán) with 绕 (rào), which also means to wind around. 绕 stresses going around something, like a detour, while 缠 stresses wrapping tightly or clinging. Also keep the second tone. 缠 is not chǎn or zhàn.
Common words with 缠
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 纠缠 | jiūchán | to be in a tangle; to nag | HSK 7-9 |
| 难缠 | nánchán | (usu. of people) difficult; demanding | |
| 缠身 | chánshēn | (of an illness, debt etc) to plague one; to bog one down; to preoccupy one | |
| 缠绕 | chánrào | twisting; to twine | |
| 缠绵 | chánmián | touching (emotions); lingering (illness) | |
| 纠缠不清 | jiūchánbùqīng | hopelessly muddled; impossible to unravel | |
| 死缠烂打 | sǐchánlàndǎ | (coll.) to pester; to harass |
缠 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 缠
How many strokes are in 缠?
缠 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 缠 mean?
缠 (chán) means to wind around; to wrap round; to coil. A common word with it is 纠缠 (jiūchán), meaning "to be in a tangle; to nag".
How do you pronounce 缠?
缠 is pronounced chán, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 缠?
The radical of 缠 is 纟, which carries the idea of "silk". Dictionaries list 缠 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 缠?
The traditional form of 缠 is 纏. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 缠 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 缠 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 缠 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 难缠 mean when describing a person?
难缠 (nánchán) describes someone who is hard to deal with, demanding, or not easy to get rid of. For example, 这个客户很难缠 means this client is very difficult.
Can 缠 be used for illness or trouble?
Yes. 缠身 (chánshēn) means something like illness, debt, or work is weighing on you and won't go away, as in 病魔缠身 (bìngmó chánshēn), plagued by illness.