Hanzi Writer

How to Write 干 (gān/gàn) — Meaning “dry / to do / stem”

gān/gàn HSK Level 1 3 strokes Radical: 十

干 (gān/gàn) means "dry / to do / stem" in Chinese. It has 3 strokes with the radical 十, and is HSK Level 1.

Rated 1.7/5 in difficulty (beginner-friendly).

Harder than 10% of HSK Level 1 characters.

Appears in 4+ common words including 干净 (gān jìng), 干旱 (gān hàn), 干活 (gàn huó).

In the Hanzi Writer app, most learners master 干 within 3 practice attempts using stroke-by-stroke animation.

Stroke order practice for 干 - gān/gàn

Practice Writing 干 (gān/gàn)

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

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How to Write 干

The character 干 (gān/gàn) is written with 3 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 十 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 gān/gàn (干) Mean in Chinese?

干 means dry / to do / stem.

This is a polyphonic character with readings: gān, gàn.

As an HSK Level 1 character, 干 is among the first characters beginners learn.

Character Data

Character干
Pinyingān / gàn (gan)
Meaningdry / to do / stem
Strokes3
Radical十
HSK Level1
Difficulty1.7/5

Origin of 干

This character originally depicted a forked wooden pole or shield, a simple weapon that could also be used to prop up drying items, linking to the meanings 'stem' and 'dry.' Over time, it gained the extended meaning 'to do' from the idea of using such a tool for action.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture a straight, dry branch (stem) with a horizontal line through it, like a clothes hanger left out to dry in the sun.

Common Words with 干

干净 gān jìng
clean / neat
干旱 gān hàn
drought / arid
干活 gàn huó
to work / to do manual labor
干部 gàn bù
cadre; official; staff member

Example Sentences

我们要把教室打扫得干干净净。

wǒ men yào bǎ jiào shì dǎ sǎo dé gān gān jìng jìng

We need to clean the classroom thoroughly.

持续的干旱导致农作物大量枯死。

chí xù de gān hàn dǎo zhì nóng zuò wù dà liàng kū sǐ

Continuous drought has caused a large number of crops to wither and die.

他干活非常利索，从不拖泥带水。

tā gàn huó fēi cháng lì suǒ cóng bù tuō ní dài shuǐ

He works very efficiently and never leaves things half-done.

这里的村干部非常关心群众的生活。

zhè lǐ de cūn gàn bù fēi cháng guān xīn qún zhòng de shēng huó

The village officials here care very much about the lives of the people.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character Pinyin Strokes Radical
干 (current) gān / gàn 3 十
十 shí 2 十
千 qiān 3 十
卄 niàn 3 十
Stroke order practice for 干 - gān/gàn

Practice Writing 干 (gān/gàn)

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

✨ Animated stroke order · Handwriting recognition · HSK-graded practice · Free to use

App Store ▶ Google Play

Frequently Asked Questions about 干

干 is made of three straight strokes: two horizontal lines crossed by one vertical line. This simple structure resembles a pole or a stem, which connects to the meaning 'stem', while the bare lines can suggest something 'dry' or stripped of water.

More HSK Level 1 Characters

爱ài好hǎo/hào八bā爸bà吧ba/bā白bái天tiān百bǎi班bān半bàn年nián帮bāng忙máng包bāo子zi/zǐ杯bēi北běi边biān京jīng本běn

Characters with Radical 十

倝gàn十shí千qiān卄niàn卅sà升shēng午wǔ卉huì半bàn卌xì

Other 3-Stroke Characters

万wàn丈zhàng三sān上shàng下xià丌jī与yǔ/yù个ge/gě/gè丫yā丸wán