蔓 meaning and stroke order
Vine, tendril, creeper
How to write 蔓, stroke by stroke
14 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 蔓
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) trailing or climbing stem; vine
- (bound form) to spread; to extend
- (coll.) trailing or climbing stem; vine
- Taiwan pr. [man4]
- used in 蔓菁[man2 jing5]
How 蔓 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A long 曼 plant 艹 ; 曼 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 艹 (grass), shared by 421 characters on this site.
How to remember 蔓
The grass radical 艹 sits on top of 曼 (màn), which suggests something long and stretched out. Picture a plant 艹 that keeps growing longer and longer: a vine creeping along a wall.
In everyday Chinese, 蔓 mostly appears in 蔓延 (mànyán), meaning to spread, used for fires, diseases, rumors, or emotions. Example: 火势迅速蔓延。(Huǒshì xùnsù mànyán.) The fire spread quickly. When it means an actual vine, it often appears in 藤蔓 (téngwàn).
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 蔓 with 慢 (màn, slow) and 漫 (màn, overflowing, as in 浪漫). They share the 曼 part and the same sound, so check the radical: 艹 for plants, 忄 for feelings, 氵 for water.
Common words with 蔓
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 蔓延 | mànyán | to spread; to extend | HSK 7-9 |
| 藤蔓 | téngwàn | trailing or climbing stem; vine; Taiwan pr. [teng2man4] |
蔓 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 蔓
How many strokes are in 蔓?
蔓 is written with 14 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 蔓 mean?
蔓 (màn) means vine, tendril, creeper. A common word with it is 蔓延 (mànyán), meaning "to spread; to extend".
How do you pronounce 蔓?
蔓 is pronounced màn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 蔓?
The radical of 蔓 is 艹, which carries the idea of "grass". Dictionaries list 蔓 under this radical.
Is 蔓 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 蔓 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Why is 蔓 sometimes read wàn and sometimes màn?
The reading màn is used in formal and written words like 蔓延. The colloquial reading wàn is used for the vine itself, as in 藤蔓 (téngwàn) or 瓜蔓 (guāwàn). In Taiwan, màn is used in both cases.
What is 蔓菁 and how is it pronounced?
蔓菁 is read mánjing, with 蔓 in the second tone. It is a word for turnip, and this is the only common word where 蔓 takes the mán reading.