耽 meaning and stroke order
To indulge; to delay
How to write 耽, stroke by stroke
10 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 耽
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to indulge in
- to delay
- variant of 耽[dan1]
How 耽 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Ear.
耳 gives the meaning and 冘 hints at the sound.
Radical: 耳 (ear), shared by 34 characters on this site.
How to remember 耽
耽 has the ear 耳 on the left as its meaning part and 冘 (yín) on the right as its sound hint. Picture someone with their ear glued to something they enjoy, so absorbed that they lose track of time and everything gets delayed.
In modern Chinese 耽 almost always appears in words about delay, especially 耽误 (dānwu) and 耽搁 (dānge). It also appears in the formal phrase 耽于 (dān yú), meaning to indulge in something. Example: 别耽误时间了。(Bié dānwu shíjiān le.) Stop wasting time.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 耽 with 沈 (shěn) or 枕 (zhěn), which share a similar right side. Also note that in 耽误 and 耽搁 the second syllable is usually said in the neutral tone: dānwu, dānge.
Common words with 耽
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
耽 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 耽
How many strokes are in 耽?
耽 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 耽 mean?
耽 (dān) means to indulge; to delay. A common word with it is 耽误 (dānwu), meaning "to delay; to hold up".
How do you pronounce 耽?
耽 is pronounced dān, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 耽?
The radical of 耽 is 耳, which carries the idea of "ear". Dictionaries list 耽 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 耽?
The traditional form of 耽 is 躭. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 耽 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 耽 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 耽 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 耽误 and 耽搁?
Both mean to delay. 耽误 often stresses a bad result, like missing something important, as in 耽误工作 (hold up work). 耽搁 focuses more on the delay or the stay itself, as in 在路上耽搁了 (got held up on the way).
How do I say 'sorry to take up your time' with 耽?
A common polite phrase is 耽误你时间了 (dānwu nǐ shíjiān le). People say it after asking someone for help or a favor.