Meaning of 端
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- (bound form) tip; end; extremity
- (bound form) aspect; facet
- (bound form) upright; proper
- to hold sth level with both hands; to carry
- to eliminate; to wipe out
- old variant of 端[duan1]
- start
- origin
How to use 端
As a verb, 端 means to carry something level with both hands, often food or drinks. 他端来一杯茶。(Tā duān lái yì bēi chá.) He brought over a cup of tea. As a bound form it appears in words like 极端 (jíduān, extreme), 尖端 (jiānduān, tip) and 端正 (duānzhèng, upright).
端 has 立 (lì, to stand) on the left, so picture someone standing straight and proper, holding a tray level at its very end. Standing upright gives you the senses "proper" and "to hold level."
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 端 with 瑞 (ruì, auspicious) and 喘 (chuǎn, to pant), which share the same right side. Check the left part: 端 has 立, 瑞 has 王, and 喘 has 口.
端 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
端 duān · tip · 14 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 端.
| 极端 | jíduān | extreme |
| 端午节 | Duānwǔ Jié | Dragon Boat Festival (5th day of the 5th lunar month) |
| 争端 | zhēngduān | dispute; controversy |
| 尖端 | jiānduān | sharp pointed end; the tip |
| 端正 | duānzhèng | upright; regular |
| 弊端 | bìduān | systemic problem (sometimes refers specifically to corrupt practices) |
| 开端 | kāiduān | start; beginning |
| 顶端 | dǐngduān | summit; peak |
| 终端 | zhōngduān | end; terminal |
| 事端 | shìduān | disturbance; incident |
| 高端 | gāoduān | high-end |
| 末端 | mòduān | tip; extremity |
Questions about 端
What does 端 mean?
端 (duān) means "(bound form) tip; end; extremity; (bound form) aspect; facet" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 端?
端 is made of 1 character: 端 (14 strokes). That is 14 strokes in total.
Is 端 an HSK word?
Yes. 端 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 端 (duān) and 拿 (ná)?
拿 is the general word for holding or taking something. 端 specifically means carrying something level with both hands, like a bowl of soup, a plate or a tray, so nothing spills.
Why is the Dragon Boat Festival called 端午节?
Here 端 carries the old sense of "start" or "beginning," and 午 refers to the fifth month. The festival falls on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, and people often shorten the name to 端午 (Duānwǔ).