貪 meaning and stroke order
Greedy, covetous; corrupt
How to write 貪, stroke by stroke
11 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
Meaning of 貪
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to have a voracious desire for
- to covet
- greedy
- corrupt
How 貪 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Money.
貝 gives the meaning and 今 hints at the sound.
Radical: 貝 (sea shell), shared by 62 characters on this site.
How to remember 貪
貪 is 今 (jīn, now) on top of 貝 (shell, money). Wanting money right now is greed. 今 also hints at the sound.
貪 (simplified 贪) means wanting too much of something, often money, and it is the key character for official corruption, as in 貪污 (tānwū). It also works for milder cravings, as in 貪玩 (tānwán, too fond of play). Example: 他太貪心了。(Tā tài tānxīn le.) He is too greedy.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 貪 with 貧 (pín, poor), which has 分 on top instead of 今. The two look alike and have opposite feelings, so check the top part: 今 for greedy, 分 for poor.
Common words with 貪
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
Questions about 貪
How many strokes are in 貪?
貪 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 貪 mean?
貪 (tān) means greedy, covetous; corrupt. A common word with it is 贪婪 (tānlán), meaning "avaricious; greedy".
How do you pronounce 貪?
貪 is pronounced tān, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 貪?
The radical of 貪 is 貝, which carries the idea of "sea shell". Dictionaries list 貪 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 貪?
貪 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 贪, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 貪心 and 貪婪?
貪心 (tānxīn) is everyday and can be mild, even said jokingly to a friend. 貪婪 (tānlán) is stronger and more formal, and it describes a deep, ugly greed.
Can 貪 be used for things other than money?
Yes. It can mean craving or being overly attached to something, as in 貪玩 (tānwán, loving play too much) or 貪吃 (tānchī, greedy about food). The tone is usually a little critical.