馆 meaning and stroke order
Public building; shop, house, establishment
How to write 馆, stroke by stroke
11 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 馆
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- building
- shop
- term for certain service establishments
- embassy or consulate
- schoolroom (old)
- variant of 館|馆[guan3]
How 馆 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A public 官 building where food 饣 is served; 官 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 饣 (food), shared by 43 characters on this site.
How to remember 馆
On the left is the food radical 饣, and on the right is 官 (guān), an official. Picture an official building where guests are given food. 官 also gives 馆 its sound.
馆 (guǎn) is almost never used alone. It forms the last part of words for buildings and service places, such as 图书馆 (túshūguǎn) library, 博物馆 (bówùguǎn) museum, and 饭馆 (fànguǎn) restaurant. Example: 我在图书馆看书。(Wǒ zài túshūguǎn kàn shū.) I read in the library.
Common mistake: Learners often write 官 (guān, official) or 管 (guǎn, to manage) when they mean 馆. Only 馆 has the food radical 饣 on the left. Also note the tone: 馆 is third tone guǎn, while 官 is first tone guān.
Common words with 馆
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 图书馆 | túshūguǎn | library | HSK 1 |
| 体育馆 | tǐyùguǎn | gym; gymnasium | HSK 2 |
| 饭馆 | fànguǎn | restaurant | HSK 2 |
| 旅馆 | lǚguǎn | hotel | HSK 3 |
| 大使馆 | dàshǐguǎn | embassy | HSK 3 |
| 餐馆 | cānguǎn | restaurant | HSK 5 |
| 博物馆 | bówùguǎn | museum | HSK 5 |
| 宾馆 | bīnguǎn | guesthouse; lodge | HSK 5 |
| 场馆 | chǎngguǎn | sporting venue; arena | HSK 6 |
| 领事馆 | lǐngshìguǎn | consulate | HSK 7-9 |
| 纪念馆 | jìniànguǎn | memorial museum; memorial hall | HSK 7-9 |
| 茶馆儿 | cháguǎnr | erhua form of 茶館|茶馆[cha2 guan3] | HSK 7-9 |
| 汽车旅馆 | qìchēlǚguǎn | motel | |
| 咖啡馆 | kāfēiguǎn | café; coffee shop |
馆 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 馆
How many strokes are in 馆?
馆 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 馆 mean?
馆 (guǎn) means public building; shop, house, establishment. A common word with it is 图书馆 (túshūguǎn), meaning "library".
How do you pronounce 馆?
馆 is pronounced guǎn, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 馆?
The radical of 馆 is 饣, which carries the idea of "food". Dictionaries list 馆 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 馆?
The traditional form of 馆 is 舘 and 館. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 馆 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 馆 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 馆 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
What is the difference between 饭馆 and 餐馆?
Both mean restaurant. 饭馆 (fànguǎn) is more casual and often suggests a small, everyday place. 餐馆 (cānguǎn) sounds slightly more formal.
Is 馆 different from 店 (diàn) for places of business?
店 (diàn) usually means a shop or store that sells goods, as in 商店 (shāngdiàn) store. 馆 is used more for public buildings and service places like libraries, museums, embassies, hotels and restaurants.