赡 meaning and stroke order
Rich, elegant; to support, to provide for
How to write 赡, stroke by stroke
17 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 赡
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to support
- to provide for
How 赡 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Money.
贝 gives the meaning and 詹 hints at the sound.
Radical: 贝 (sea shell), shared by 63 characters on this site.
How to remember 赡
赡 is made of 贝 (bèi, shell, an old symbol of money) plus 詹 (zhān), which gives the sound. Think of it as using money 贝 to support and provide for someone.
赡 rarely appears alone in modern Chinese. It mostly shows up in 赡养 (shànyǎng), a formal word for supporting family members, especially adult children supporting elderly parents. Example: 子女有赡养父母的义务。 (Zǐnǚ yǒu shànyǎng fùmǔ de yìwù.) Children have a duty to support their parents.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 赡 with 瞻 (zhān, to look up at), which shares the 詹 part but uses 目 (eye) instead of 贝. They also misread 赡 as zhān, the sound of the component. Remember that money 贝 means support, and the sound is shàn in the fourth tone.
Common words with 赡
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 赡养 | shànyǎng | to support; to provide support for | HSK 7-9 |
| 赡养费 | shànyǎngfèi | alimony; child support |
赡 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 赡
How many strokes are in 赡?
赡 is written with 17 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 赡 mean?
赡 (shàn) means rich, elegant; to support, to provide for. A common word with it is 赡养 (shànyǎng), meaning "to support; to provide support for".
How do you pronounce 赡?
赡 is pronounced shàn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 赡?
The radical of 赡 is 贝, which carries the idea of "sea shell". Dictionaries list 赡 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 赡?
The traditional form of 赡 is 贍. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 赡 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 赡 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 赡 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 赡养 and 抚养?
赡养 (shànyǎng) usually means the younger generation supporting elders, such as children caring for parents. 抚养 (fǔyǎng) means raising and bringing up children. They are often used as a pair in legal and family contexts.
Where would I see 赡养费?
赡养费 (shànyǎngfèi) appears in legal settings, such as divorce rulings or family disputes. It refers to money paid to support a dependent, for example alimony or payments to elderly parents.