馋 meaning and stroke order
Gluttonous; greedy; to have a craving
How to write 馋, stroke by stroke
12 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 馋
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- gluttonous
- greedy
- to have a craving
How 馋 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Eat.
饣 gives the meaning and 饣 hints at the sound.
Radical: 饣 (food), shared by 43 characters on this site.
How to remember 馋
The food radical 饣 sits on the left, telling you this character is about eating. On the right is a shape built on 兔 (tù, rabbit), so picture a rabbit staring at a snack it badly wants to eat.
馋 (chán) most often describes craving tasty food or being a foodie, and it can be playful rather than insulting. It also works as a verb meaning to make someone crave something, as in 馋人 (chán rén, mouth-watering). Example: 我嘴馋了，想吃火锅。(Wǒ zuǐ chán le, xiǎng chī huǒguō.) I'm craving something, I want hotpot.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 馋 with 谗 (chán, to slander). The two share the same pronunciation and right-hand part, but 谗 uses the speech radical 讠 instead of the food radical 饣. Also, the right side is not exactly 兔, so check the strokes carefully when writing it.
馋 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 馋
How many strokes are in 馋?
馋 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 馋 mean?
馋 (chán) means gluttonous; greedy; to have a craving.
How do you pronounce 馋?
馋 is pronounced chán, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 馋?
The radical of 馋 is 饣, which carries the idea of "food". Dictionaries list 馋 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 馋?
The traditional form of 馋 is 饞. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 馋 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 馋 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 馋 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 馋猫 mean?
馋猫 (chán māo) literally means greedy cat. People use it affectionately for someone who loves to eat, especially kids or partners.
Is 馋 only about food?
Mostly yes, but it can extend to strongly wanting other things. 眼馋 (yǎnchán) means to covet something you see, like a friend's new phone.