How to Write 担 (dān/dàn) — Meaning “to carry on a shoulder pole; to take on”

Q: What is a good memory trick to remember the character 担?

Picture yourself with a pole across your shoulder, a bucket at each end, and your hand (扌) holding it. The right side 旦 looks like the sun rising — you 'take on' the day's work just like carrying that pole at dawn.

Q: What are important writing tips for writing 担 correctly?

Write the hand radical 扌 first: left vertical, horizontal, vertical, horizontal (the final horizontal is a lift). Then write 旦: a small vertical, a horizontal, a short horizontal, and a long bottom horizontal. Keep 扌 narrow and 旦 wider to balance the character.

Q: How can I tell 担 apart from the similar characters 托 and 㧜?

担 (dān) has 旦 (sun) on the right and means to carry on a pole or take on responsibility. 托 (tuō) has 乇 (a sprout) on the right and means to hold in the palm or entrust. 㧜 is very rare and not used in modern Chinese.

Q: In what situations is 担 commonly used in modern Chinese?

担 is used as a verb meaning 'to take on' or 'to carry,' as in 担心 (dān xīn, to worry, literally 'carry heart') and 担当 (dān dāng, to take responsibility). As a noun with the fourth tone dàn it means 'load' or 'burden,' like in 重担 (zhòng dàn, heavy burden).

Q: What common words use 担?

Common words containing 担 include: 担心 (dān xīn) — to worry; to be anxious; 担当 (dān dāng) — to take on / to take responsibility; 重担 (zhòng dàn) — Heavy burden; heavy load..

dān/dàn HSK Level 4 8 strokes Radical: 扌

担 (dān/dàn) means "to carry on a shoulder pole; to take on" in Chinese. It has 8 strokes with the radical 扌, and is HSK Level 4.

Rated 3.7/5 in difficulty (challenging).

Harder than 45% of HSK Level 4 characters.

Appears in 4+ common words including 担心 (dān xīn), 担当 (dān dāng), 重担 (zhòng dàn).

Due to its 8 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 担 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Practice Writing 担 (dān/dàn)

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

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How to Write 担

The character 担 (dān/dàn) is written with 8 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 扌 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/dàn (担) Mean in Chinese?

担 means to carry on a shoulder pole; to take on.

This is a polyphonic character with readings: dān, dàn.

As an HSK Level 4 character, 担 is an intermediate-level character.

Character Data

Character	担
Pinyin	dān / dàn (dan)
Meaning	to carry on a shoulder pole; to take on
Strokes	8
Radical	扌
HSK Level	4
Difficulty	3.7/5

Origin of 担

担 is a compound character with the radical 扌 (hand) indicating an action, and the phonetic component 旦 (dawn). Originally written as 擔, meaning to carry a load on a shoulder pole, the simplified form retains the hand radical to suggest the manual action of balancing a pole across the shoulder.

💡 Memory Tip: Imagine at dawn (旦) you use your hand (扌) to hoist a heavy pole across your shoulder—that's the weight you担 (carry).

Common Words with 担

担心 dān xīn

to worry; to be anxious

担当 dān dāng

to take on / to take responsibility

重担 zhòng dàn

Heavy burden; heavy load.

担子 dàn zi

burden / responsibility / carrying pole

Example Sentences

妈妈总是担心我在外面照顾不好自己。

mā mā zǒng shì dān xīn wǒ zài wài miàn zhào gù bù hǎo zì jǐ

Mom is always worried that I won't take good care of myself when I'm away.

关键时刻，我们应该有勇于担当的精神。

guān jiàn shí kè wǒ men yīng gāi yǒu yǒng yú dān dāng de jīng shén

At critical moments, we should have the spirit of being brave enough to take responsibility.

他默默地挑起了养活全家人的生活重担。

tā mò mò dì tiāo qǐ le yǎng huó quán jiā rén de shēng huó zhòng dàn

He silently took on the heavy burden of supporting the whole family.

货郎挑着沉重的担子在乡间小路上穿行。

huò láng tiāo zhe chén zhòng de dàn zi zài xiāng jiān xiǎo lù shàng chuān xíng

The peddler walked through the country lanes carrying a heavy load.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Radical
担 (current)	dān / dàn	8	扌
托	tuō	6	扌
扛	gāng / káng	6	扌
扢	gǔ	6	扌

Practice Writing 担 (dān/dàn)

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

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Frequently Asked Questions about 担

How is 担 structured and how do its components relate to its meaning?

担 has the hand radical 扌 on the left and the component 旦 (meaning dawn) on the right. The hand radical indicates an action done with hands, and 旦 gives the sound. Together they create the idea of using your hands to carry something, like a pole balanced on your shoulder.

What is a good memory trick to remember the character 担?

What are important writing tips for writing 担 correctly?

How can I tell 担 apart from the similar characters 托 and 㧜?

In what situations is 担 commonly used in modern Chinese?

What common words use 担?

How to Write 担 (dān/dàn) — Meaning “to carry on a shoulder pole; to take on”

Practice Writing 担 (dān/dàn)

How to Write 担

What Does dān/dàn (担) Mean in Chinese?

Character Data

Origin of 担

Common Words with 担

Example Sentences

Similar Characters Comparison

Practice Writing 担 (dān/dàn)

Frequently Asked Questions about 担

More HSK Level 4 Characters

Characters with Radical 扌

Other 8-Stroke Characters