阱 meaning and stroke order
Trap, snare, pitfall
How to write 阱, stroke by stroke
6 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
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Meaning of 阱
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- pitfall
- trap
- variant of 阱[jing3]
How 阱 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A farm 阝 with a well 井; 井 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 阝 (place), shared by 160 characters on this site.
How to remember 阱
Picture a hidden well 井 (jǐng) dug on a farm 阝. Anyone who walks across the field without looking falls in, so the well becomes a trap. 井 also gives the sound jǐng.
阱 almost never appears alone in modern Chinese. You will meet it in the word 陷阱 (xiànjǐng), which can mean a real pit for catching animals or a figurative trap like a scam or a trick question. Example: 这是一个陷阱。(Zhè shì yí gè xiànjǐng.) This is a trap.
Common mistake: Learners often write the well character 井 by itself when they mean 陷阱, or they forget the 阝 on the left. Both 井 and 阱 are read jǐng with the third tone, so you have to tell them apart by meaning and by the extra 阝.
Common words with 阱
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 陷阱 | xiànjǐng | pitfall; snare | HSK 7-9 |
阱 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 阱
How many strokes are in 阱?
阱 is written with 6 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 阱 mean?
阱 (jǐng) means trap, snare, pitfall. A common word with it is 陷阱 (xiànjǐng), meaning "pitfall; snare".
How do you pronounce 阱?
阱 is pronounced jǐng, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 阱?
The radical of 阱 is 阝, which carries the idea of "place". Dictionaries list 阱 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 阱?
The traditional form of 阱 is 穽. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 阱 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 阱 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 阱 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 陷阱 and 圈套?
陷阱 (xiànjǐng) can be a literal pit or a figurative trap. 圈套 (quāntào) is only figurative and stresses a scheme someone sets up to fool you. In everyday speech both can describe a scam.
Can I say 掉进陷阱 in Chinese?
Yes. 掉进陷阱 (diào jìn xiànjǐng) means to fall into a trap, and it works both literally and figuratively. You can also say 落入陷阱 (luò rù xiànjǐng), which sounds a bit more formal.