How to Write 寒 (hán) — Meaning “cold; chilly”

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

Picture a person shivering under a roof with two ice cubes on the floor. The ice cubes (冫) make the person feel cold, helping you remember that 寒 means cold or chilly.

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

Pay attention to the bottom part: it has two dots for ice (冫) followed by two horizontal strokes. A common mistake is to add an extra dot or misplace the strokes, so practice keeping the bottom balanced under the roof.

Q: How can I tell 寒 apart from similar characters like 宰 and 害?

寒 has a person (人) and ice (冫) under the roof, while 宰 has the bitter component 辛 underneath, and 害 has a mouth (口) with a cross. Their meanings differ: 寒 is cold, 宰 is slaughter, and 害 is harm.

Q: When and how is 寒 used in modern Chinese?

寒 appears in words like 寒冷 (cold weather) and 寒假 (winter vacation). It is also used metaphorically in 心寒 to describe feeling disheartened or bitterly disappointed, often in emotional contexts.

Q: What common words use 寒?

Common words containing 寒 include: 寒冷 (hán lěng) — cold; frigid; 寒假 (hán jià) — winter vacation; 心寒 (xīn hán) — disheartened; bitterly disappointed.

hán HSK Level 4 12 strokes Radical: 宀

寒 (hán) means "cold; chilly" in Chinese. It has 12 strokes with the radical 宀, and is HSK Level 4.

Rated 4.2/5 in difficulty (advanced).

Harder than 67% of HSK Level 4 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 寒冷 (hán lěng), 寒假 (hán jià), 心寒 (xīn hán).

Due to its 12 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 寒 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Practice Writing 寒 (hán)

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

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How to Write 寒

The character 寒 (hán) is written with 12 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 宀 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 (寒) Mean in Chinese?

寒 means cold; chilly.

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

Character Data

Character	寒
Pinyin	hán (han)
Meaning	cold; chilly
Strokes	12
Radical	宀
HSK Level	4
Difficulty	4.2/5

Origin of 寒

The character 寒 combines a roof (宀) sheltering a person (人) surrounded by ice (冫) and straw/grass (艹), depicting someone in a cold house with ice forming and straw for warmth—hence 'cold.'

💡 Memory Tip: Under a roof (宀), a person (人) is trapped between two blocks of ice (冫) on frozen grass (艹), shivering in the cold.

Common Words with 寒

寒冷 hán lěng

cold; frigid

寒假 hán jià

winter vacation

心寒 xīn hán

disheartened; bitterly disappointed

Example Sentences

北方的冬天很寒冷。

běi fāng de dōng tiān hěn hán lěng

Winter in the north is very cold.

寒假你打算去哪玩？

hán jià nǐ dǎ suàn qù nǎ wán

Where do you plan to go during the winter break?

他的话让人感到心寒。

tā de huà ràng rén gǎn dào xīn hán

His words made people feel disappointed and chilled.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Radical
寒 (current)	hán	12	宀
宰	zǎi	10	宀
害	hài	10	宀
宴	yàn	10	宀

Practice Writing 寒 (hán)

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

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

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Frequently Asked Questions about 寒

What are the components of 寒 and how do they relate to its meaning?

The character 寒 consists of a roof (宀), a person (人), and ice (冫). The roof and person show someone inside a house, while the ice represents coldness, together meaning "cold inside the house."

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

What should I watch out for when writing 寒?

How can I tell 寒 apart from similar characters like 宰 and 害?

When and how is 寒 used in modern Chinese?

What common words use 寒?

How to Write 寒 (hán) — Meaning “cold; chilly”

Practice Writing 寒 (hán)

How to Write 寒

What Does hán (寒) Mean in Chinese?

Character Data

Origin of 寒

Common Words with 寒

Example Sentences

Similar Characters Comparison

Practice Writing 寒 (hán)

Frequently Asked Questions about 寒

More HSK Level 4 Characters

Characters with Radical 宀

Other 12-Stroke Characters