顫 meaning and stroke order
To shiver, to tremble; trembling
How to write 顫, stroke by stroke
22 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 顫
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to tremble
- to shiver
- to shake
- to vibrate
- Taiwan pr. [zhan4]
How 顫 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Leaf.
頁 gives the meaning and 亶 hints at the sound.
Radical: 頁 (page), shared by 45 characters on this site.
How to remember 顫
顫 is a sound-meaning character: 亶 (dǎn) on the left gives the sound, and 頁 on the right, a head, gives the meaning. Picture a head 頁 shaking back and forth when someone shivers with cold or fear.
顫 (chàn) usually appears in two-character words like 顫抖 (chàndǒu, to shiver) and 顫動 (chàndòng, to vibrate), not on its own. It describes bodies, voices, hands or objects that shake slightly. Example: 他冷得全身顫抖。(Tā lěng de quánshēn chàndǒu.) He was so cold his whole body was shaking.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 顫 with 擅 (shàn, to be good at) or 壇 (tán, altar), which share the 亶 part but have different meanings and sounds. Remember that only 顫 has the head 頁 on the right.
Common words with 顫
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
Questions about 顫
How many strokes are in 顫?
顫 is written with 22 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 顫 mean?
顫 (chàn) means to shiver, to tremble; trembling. A common word with it is 颤抖 (chàndǒu), meaning "to shudder; to shiver".
How do you pronounce 顫?
顫 is pronounced chàn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 顫?
The radical of 顫 is 頁, which carries the idea of "page". Dictionaries list 顫 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 顫?
顫 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 颤, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 顫 pronounced chàn or zhàn?
In mainland standard Mandarin it is chàn. In Taiwan it is commonly read zhàn, so you may hear 顫抖 said as zhàndǒu there.
What is the difference between 顫抖 and 發抖?
Both mean to shake or shiver. 發抖 (fādǒu) is more everyday and conversational, while 顫抖 (chàndǒu) sounds a bit more descriptive or literary and is common in writing.