How to Write 儋 (dān) — Meaning “To carry on a shoulder pole; Dan (place name)”

Q: What is a good memory trick to remember 儋?

Picture a person (亻) carrying a long pole across their shoulder. The right side 詹 looks like the pole with two baskets hanging down — the top '⺈' is the pole, and the lower parts represent the baskets.

Q: What should I watch out for when writing 儋?

Write the left radical 亻 first (2 strokes), then 詹. Pay special attention to the top of 詹: '⺈' (roof shape) is two strokes, then '八' (two strokes) directly under it. A common mistake is writing '八' too wide or misaligning it with the roof.

Q: When and where is 儋 used in modern Chinese?

Today 儋 is almost only seen in the city name 儋州 (Dānzhōu), a place in Hainan province. It also appears in ancient terms like 儋耳, an old name for Hainan. As a verb 'to carry,' it is very rare and mostly found in classical texts.

Q: What common words use 儋?

Common words containing 儋 include: 儋州 (dān zhōu) — Danzhou (a city in Hainan); 负儋 (fù dān) — to carry a burden; 儋耳 (dān ěr) — Dan'er (ancient name for Hainan).

dān 15 strokes Radical: 亻

儋 (dān) means "To carry on a shoulder pole; Dan (place name)" in Chinese. It has 15 strokes with the radical 亻.

Rated 3.9/5 in difficulty (challenging).

Appears in 3+ common words including 儋州 (dān zhōu), 负儋 (fù dān), 儋耳 (dān ěr).

Due to its 15 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 儋 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Practice Writing 儋 (dān)

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How to Write 儋

The character 儋 (dān) is written with 15 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 亻 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

What Does dān (儋) Mean in Chinese?

儋 means To carry on a shoulder pole; Dan (place name).

Character Data

Character	儋
Pinyin	dān (dan)
Meaning	To carry on a shoulder pole; Dan (place name)
Strokes	15
Radical	亻
Difficulty	3.9/5

Origin of 儋

儋 is a compound character with the person radical 亻 and the phonetic component 詹 (zhān). It depicts a person carrying a heavy load balanced on a shoulder pole, a common method of transport in ancient China.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture a person (亻) balancing a long pole on their shoulder, with the top of 詹 looking like two heavy sacks hanging from each end.

Common Words with 儋

儋州 dān zhōu

Danzhou (a city in Hainan)

负儋 fù dān

to carry a burden

儋耳 dān ěr

Dan'er (ancient name for Hainan)

Example Sentences

他住在儋州。

tā zhù zài dān zhōu

He lives in Danzhou.

他的负儋很重。

tā de fù dān hěn zhòng

His burden is very heavy.

这是儋耳郡。

zhè shì dān ěr jùn

This is Dan'er Prefecture.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Radical
儋 (current)	dān	15	亻
催	cuī	13	亻
傺	chì	13	亻
傻	shǎ	13	亻

Practice Writing 儋 (dān)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 儋 with real-time feedback.

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Frequently Asked Questions about 儋

How is the character 儋 structured, and how do its parts relate to its meaning?

儋 has the radical 亻 on the left, meaning 'person,' which hints at a human action. The right part 詹 provides the pronunciation dān, and together they form the idea of a person carrying something with a shoulder pole.

What is a good memory trick to remember 儋?

What should I watch out for when writing 儋?

How can I tell 儋 apart from similar characters like 催 and 傺?

When and where is 儋 used in modern Chinese?

What common words use 儋?

How to Write 儋 (dān) — Meaning “To carry on a shoulder pole; Dan (place name)”

Practice Writing 儋 (dān)

How to Write 儋

What Does dān (儋) Mean in Chinese?

Character Data

Origin of 儋

Common Words with 儋

Example Sentences

Similar Characters Comparison

Practice Writing 儋 (dān)

Frequently Asked Questions about 儋

Characters with Radical 亻

Other 15-Stroke Characters