陷 meaning and stroke order
Pitfall; trap; to get stuck
How to write 陷, stroke by stroke
10 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
Meaning of 陷
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- pitfall
- trap
- to get stuck
- to sink
- to cave in
- to frame (false charge)
How 陷 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A place 阝 with a pit 臽; 臽 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 阝 (place), shared by 160 characters on this site.
How to remember 陷
On the left, 阝 marks a place like a hillside. On the right, 臽 is a pit, so picture a hole in the ground where someone sinks or gets trapped. The pit part 臽 also hints at the sound xiàn.
陷 usually appears in two-character words rather than alone. 陷入 (xiànrù) means to fall into a bad situation, 陷阱 (xiànjǐng) is a trap, and 陷害 (xiànhài) means to frame someone. Example: 他陷入了困境。(Tā xiànrù le kùnjìng.) He fell into a difficult situation.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 陷 with 馅 (xiàn, filling for dumplings). Both share the 臽 part and the same sound, but 馅 has the food radical 饣. Also, the top of 臽 is ⺈ followed by 臼, so do not write it as 旧 or 日.
Common words with 陷
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 陷入 | xiànrù | to sink into; to get caught up in | HSK 6 |
| 缺陷 | quēxiàn | defect; flaw | HSK 6 |
| 陷阱 | xiànjǐng | pitfall; snare | HSK 7-9 |
| 陷害 | xiànhài | to entrap; to set up | |
| 深陷 | shēnxiàn | to be deeply in (trouble, debt etc); deep set (eyes) | |
| 身陷 | shēnxiàn | to be trapped; to be imprisoned | |
| 沦陷 | lúnxiàn | to fall into enemy hands; to be occupied | |
| 诬陷 | wūxiàn | to entrap; to frame | |
| 陷于 | xiànyú | caught in (a bad situation); to fall into (trap etc) | |
| 陷落 | xiànluò | to surrender (of a fortress); to fall (to the enemy) | |
| 攻陷 | gōngxiàn | to capture (a fortress, city etc); to take by force | |
| 塌陷 | tāxiàn | to subside; to sink |
陷 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 陷
How many strokes are in 陷?
陷 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 陷 mean?
陷 (xiàn) means pitfall; trap; to get stuck. A common word with it is 陷入 (xiànrù), meaning "to sink into; to get caught up in".
How do you pronounce 陷?
陷 is pronounced xiàn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 陷?
The radical of 陷 is 阝, which carries the idea of "place". Dictionaries list 陷 under this radical.
Is 陷 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 陷 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 陷入 and 落入?
Both can mean to fall into something. 陷入 is more common for abstract trouble such as 陷入危机 (fall into crisis) or 陷入沉思 (sink into thought). 落入 often goes with traps or someone's hands, as in 落入圈套 (fall into a snare).
Can 陷 describe physical sinking, like ground or eyes?
Yes. The ground can 下陷 (xiàxiàn, sink or cave in), and a wheel can 陷在泥里 (get stuck in the mud). 深陷 can also describe deep-set eyes, as in 眼睛深陷.