Hanzi Writer

How to Write 函 (hán) — Meaning “letter or case”

hán HSK Level 7 8 strokes Radical: 凵

函 (hán) means "letter or case" in Chinese. It has 8 strokes with the radical 凵, and is HSK Level 7.

Rated 3.4/5 in difficulty (challenging).

Harder than 13% of HSK Level 7 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 信函 (xìn hán), 公函 (gōng hán), 函授 (hán shòu).

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

Stroke order practice for 函 - hán

Practice Writing 函 (hán)

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How to Write 函

The character 函 (hán) is written with 8 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 凵 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 hán (函) Mean in Chinese?

函 means letter or case.

As an HSK Level 7 character, 函 is an intermediate-level character.

Character Data

Character函
Pinyinhán (han)
Meaningletter or case
Strokes8
Radical凵
HSK Level7
Difficulty3.4/5

Origin of 函

Originally a pictograph of a quiver or case, 函 depicted a container with arrows inside. Over time, it came to represent any enclosed case or letter, with the outer 凵 showing a box shape and inner strokes suggesting contents.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture a box (凵) with a lid and a cross-mark, holding a secret letter inside.

Common Words with 函

信函 xìn hán
letter; mail (formal)
公函 gōng hán
Official letter
函授 hán shòu
Correspondence (education/course)

Example Sentences

我收到一封信函。

wǒ shōu dào yī fēng xìn hán

I received a letter.

这是官方公函。

zhè shì guān fāng gōng hán

This is an official letter.

他在读函授大学。

tā zài dú hán shòu dà xué

He is studying at a correspondence university.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character Pinyin Strokes Radical
函 (current) hán 8 凵
凼 dàng 6 凵
Stroke order practice for 函 - hán

Practice Writing 函 (hán)

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

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Frequently Asked Questions about 函

函 is made of the radical 凵 (a container or open box) on the outside, with strokes inside that resemble an envelope or a letter. This structure represents a case or container used to hold written correspondence.

More HSK Level 7 Characters

伯bó呵hē哎āi哀āi唉āi/ài癌ái艾ài/yì滋zī抚fǔ逸yì昂áng凹āo/wā熬āo/áo奥ào卦guà扒bā/pá芭bā蕾lěi柄bǐng靶bǎ

Characters with Radical 凵

凶xiōng凸tū凹āo/wā出chū击jī凼dàng凿záo氹dàng

Other 8-Stroke Characters

㐭lǐn丧sāng/sàng乖guāi乳rǔ乶fǔ事shì些xiē亟jí享xiǎng京jīng