颤 meaning and stroke order
To shiver, to tremble; trembling
How to write 颤, stroke by stroke
19 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
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
Meaning of 颤
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to tremble
- to shiver
- to shake
- to vibrate
- Taiwan pr. [zhan4]
How 颤 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Leaf.
页 gives the meaning and 亶 hints at the sound.
Radical: 页 (page), shared by 39 characters on this site.
How to remember 颤
颤 is a sound-meaning character: 亶 (dǎn) on the left hints at the sound, and 页 on the right is the meaning part. The data glosses 页 as leaf, so picture a single leaf shivering in the wind to remember that 颤 means to tremble.
颤 usually appears in two-character words like 颤抖 (chàndǒu, to shiver) and 颤动 (chàndòng, to vibrate), not on its own. It describes bodies, voices, or objects that shake slightly. Example: 他冷得直颤抖。(Tā lěng de zhí chàndǒu.) He was so cold he kept shivering.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 颤 with 擅 (shàn, to be good at) and 檀 (tán, sandalwood), which share the 亶 part. Only 颤 has 页 on the right. Also remember the fourth tone in chàn, not chán.
Common words with 颤
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
颤 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 颤
How many strokes are in 颤?
颤 is written with 19 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 颤 mean?
颤 (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 颤?
颤 is pronounced chàn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 颤?
The radical of 颤 is 页, which carries the idea of "page". Dictionaries list 颤 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 颤?
The traditional form of 颤 is 顫. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 颤 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 颤 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 颤 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is 颤 ever pronounced zhàn?
Yes. The data notes that in Taiwan it is often pronounced zhàn. In mainland standard Mandarin, chàn is the normal reading for words like 颤抖 and 颤动.
What is the difference between 颤抖 and 颤动?
颤抖 (chàndǒu) is mostly used for people or voices shaking from cold, fear, or emotion. 颤动 (chàndòng) leans toward physical vibration or quivering, like leaves or a string.