誕 meaning and stroke order
To give birth, to bear children; birth, birthday
How to write 誕, 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 誕
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- birth
- birthday
- brag
- boast
- to increase
How 誕 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Speech.
言 gives the meaning and 延 hints at the sound.
Radical: 言 (words), shared by 155 characters on this site.
How to remember 誕
誕 is built from 言 (speech) on the left and 延 (yán, to extend) on the right, which also hints at the sound dàn. Picture words stretched out too far, like a boast or a wild tale, and then link it to the long-awaited moment of a birth.
誕 means birth in formal words like 诞生 (dànshēng, to be born) and 诞辰 (dànchén, birthday of a notable person), and it appears in 圣诞节 (Shèngdàn Jié, Christmas). It also keeps the old sense of exaggeration in 荒诞 (huāngdàn, absurd) and 怪诞 (guàidàn, weird). Example: 圣诞节快乐。(Shèngdàn Jié kuàilè.) Merry Christmas.
Common mistake: Learners often pronounce 誕 as yán because of the 延 component, but it is read dàn with a falling fourth tone. Also, 诞辰 is only for respected or historical figures, so use 生日 (shēngrì) for an ordinary birthday.
Common words with 誕
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
Questions about 誕
How many strokes are in 誕?
誕 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 誕 mean?
誕 (dàn) means to give birth, to bear children; birth, birthday. A common word with it is 圣诞节 (Shèngdàn Jié), meaning "Christmas time; Christmas season".
How do you pronounce 誕?
誕 is pronounced dàn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 誕?
The radical of 誕 is 言, which carries the idea of "words". Dictionaries list 誕 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 誕?
誕 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 诞, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Why does 誕 mean both birth and absurd?
Its listed senses include brag and boast, which fit the speech component 言. That sense survives in 荒诞 and 怪诞, while the birth sense is used in 诞生 and 圣诞节.
Can I say 我的诞辰 for my birthday?
It would sound odd and overly grand. 诞辰 is used in formal contexts, such as commemorating the birthday of a famous person, so say 我的生日 (wǒ de shēngrì) instead.