闡 meaning and stroke order
To disclose; to explain; to open
How to write 闡, stroke by stroke
20 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 闡
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to express
- to disclose
- to enlighten
- to open
How 闡 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Gate.
門 gives the meaning and 單 hints at the sound.
Radical: 門 (gate), shared by 42 characters on this site.
How to remember 闡
闡 is a gate 門 (mén) wrapped around 單 (dān), which gives the sound. Picture opening a gate so everyone can see what is inside, and that is how you disclose or explain something.
闡 is not used alone in modern Chinese. It appears in formal words like 阐述 (chǎnshù) and 阐明 (chǎnmíng), often in academic writing, speeches, and news. Example: 他阐明了自己的观点。(Tā chǎnmíngle zìjǐ de guāndiǎn.) He clearly explained his point of view.
Common mistake: Learners often read it as dān or shàn because of the phonetic part 單, but the correct reading is chǎn with a third tone. Also do not confuse it with 阐's look-alike 间 (jiān) or 闹 (nào), which share the gate frame but have different insides.
Common words with 闡
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 闡述 | chǎnshù | to expound (a position); to elaborate (on a topic) | HSK 7-9 |
| 闡明 | chǎnmíng | to elucidate; to explain clearly |
Questions about 闡
How many strokes are in 闡?
闡 is written with 20 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 闡 mean?
闡 (chǎn) means to disclose; to explain; to open. A common word with it is 阐述 (chǎnshù), meaning "to expound (a position); to elaborate (on a topic)".
How do you pronounce 闡?
闡 is pronounced chǎn, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 闡?
The radical of 闡 is 門, which carries the idea of "gate". Dictionaries list 闡 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 闡?
闡 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 阐, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 阐述 and 解释?
解释 (jiěshì) is the everyday word for explaining anything. 阐述 (chǎnshù) is formal and means setting out a view or argument in detail, as in a paper or a speech.
Why is 闡 written as 阐 in mainland China?
In simplified characters the gate 門 becomes 门 and 單 becomes 单, so 闡 is written 阐. Taiwan and Hong Kong keep the form 闡.