How to Write 侃 (kǎn) — Meaning “upright; straightforward; to chat”

Imagine a person (亻) standing next to three horizontal lines (川) like a river of words flowing out. This can remind you that 侃 means to chat or speak smoothly, like water flowing without pause.

The left part 亻must be written narrow and tall, with the vertical stroke straight. On the right, 川 has three vertical strokes of similar length and spacing; a common mistake is making the middle stroke too long or uneven. Keep all three strokes parallel and evenly spaced.

仰 (yǎng, to look up) has a person radical plus a right part that looks like a person raising a head, while 仲 (zhòng, middle/second) has a person radical plus 中 (middle). In contrast, 侃 has 川 on the right and means to chat or be straightforward, so they differ in both meaning and right-side component.

侃 often appears in informal speech for chatting, like 侃大山 (kǎn dà shān) meaning to shoot the breeze. It is also used in 调侃 (tiáo kǎn) for teasing, and in the formal idiom 侃侃而谈 (kǎn kǎn ér tán), which describes speaking confidently and calmly. While not in HSK, it is common in daily conversation and literature.

Common words containing 侃 include: 侃侃而谈 (kǎn kǎn ér tán) — to speak with confidence and composure; 调侃 (tiáo kǎn) — To tease; to mock; 侃大山 (kǎn dà shān) — to chat idly; to shoot the breeze.