跚 meaning and stroke order
To stagger, to limp
How to write 跚, stroke by stroke
12 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 跚
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- used in 蹣跚|蹒跚[pan2 shan1]
How 跚 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Foot.
足 gives the meaning and 册 hints at the sound.
Radical: 足 (foot), shared by 119 characters on this site.
How to remember 跚
跚 combines the foot radical 足 (shown as 𧾷 on the left) with 册 (cè), which gives the sound. Picture feet stumbling over a stack of bamboo book slips, and you get someone staggering along.
跚 almost never appears alone. It is used in the word 蹒跚 (pánshān), which describes slow, unsteady walking, as with toddlers, the elderly, or someone injured. Example: 老人步履蹒跚地走进来。(Lǎorén bùlǚ pánshān de zǒu jìnlái.) The old man tottered in.
Common mistake: Learners often read 跚 as cè because of the 册 component, but the correct reading is shān. Also do not confuse it with 珊 (shān), as in 珊瑚 (shānhú, coral), which shares the same sound and right side but has the jade radical 王.
Common words with 跚
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 蹒跚 | pánshān | to walk unsteadily; to stagger; to lurch; to hobble; to totter |
Questions about 跚
How many strokes are in 跚?
跚 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 跚 mean?
跚 (shān) means to stagger, to limp. A common word with it is 蹒跚 (pánshān), meaning "to walk unsteadily; to stagger; to lurch; to hobble; to totter".
How do you pronounce 跚?
跚 is pronounced shān, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 跚?
The radical of 跚 is 足, which carries the idea of "foot". Dictionaries list 跚 under this radical.
Can I use 跚 by itself to mean limp?
No. In modern Chinese 跚 only appears in 蹒跚. To say someone limps, use 一瘸一拐 (yì qué yì guǎi) or 瘸 (qué).
Is 蹒跚 a formal or a casual word?
It leans literary and descriptive. It is common in writing and set phrases like 步履蹒跚 (bùlǚ pánshān). In casual speech people more often say 走路不稳 (zǒulù bù wěn), meaning walking unsteadily.