How to Write 男 (nán) — Meaning “Male”

Q: What is a good memory trick to remember 男?

Imagine a man using all his strength (力) to plow a field (田). This mental picture helps you link the two parts to the meaning 'male'.

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

Write the top part 田 first, then the bottom part 力. Make sure 田 is a bit wider than 力, and the hook of 力 points upward. A common mistake is making 力 too small or misplacing the hook.

Q: How can I tell 男 apart from similar characters like 田 and 由?

田 is just the field component with no bottom part, meaning 'field'. 由 is 田 with a vertical line going through the center, meaning 'cause' or 'reason'. 男 always has 力 underneath 田, making it unique.

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

男 is the standard character for 'male' and appears in common words like 男生 (male student), 男朋友 (boyfriend), and 男人 (man). You often see it on restroom signs and forms to indicate gender.

Q: What common words use 男?

Common words containing 男 include: 男生 (nán shēng) — Male student; 男朋友 (nán péng yǒu) — Boyfriend; 男人 (nán rén) — Man.

nán HSK Level 1 7 strokes Radical: 田

男 (nán) means "Male" in Chinese. It has 7 strokes with the radical 田, and is HSK Level 1.

Rated 2.9/5 in difficulty (moderate).

Harder than 57% of HSK Level 1 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 男生 (nán shēng), 男朋友 (nán péng yǒu), 男人 (nán rén).

Hanzi Writer's stroke validation shows learners typically need 5-8 attempts to write 男 with correct proportion and order.

Practice Writing 男 (nán)

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

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How to Write 男

The character 男 (nán) is written with 7 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 田 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 nán (男) Mean in Chinese?

男 means Male.

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

Character Data

Character	男
Pinyin	nán (nan)
Meaning	Male
Strokes	7
Radical	田
HSK Level	1
Difficulty	2.9/5

Origin of 男

男 is a compound of 田 (field) and 力 (strength), depicting a man using his physical power to work the land. In ancient China, men were primarily responsible for farming, so the character visually represents 'male' as one who labors in the fields.

💡 Memory Tip: Imagine a man putting all his strength (力) into plowing a square field (田) to provide for his family.

Common Words with 男

男生 nán shēng

Male student

男朋友 nán péng yǒu

Boyfriend

男人 nán rén

Man

Example Sentences

班里有一半是男生。

bān lǐ yǒu yí bàn shì nán shēng

Half of the class are boys.

那是她的男朋友。

nà shì tā de nán péng yǒu

That is her boyfriend.

他是一个负责任的男人。

tā shì yí gè fù zé rèn de nán rén

He is a responsible man.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Radical
男 (current)	nán	7	田
田	tián	5	田
由	yóu	5	田
甲	jiǎ	5	田

Practice Writing 男 (nán)

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

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

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Frequently Asked Questions about 男

How is the character 男 structured, and how does its meaning come from its parts?

男 is made of two parts: 田 (field) on top and 力 (strength) below. In ancient times, men worked in the fields using their strength, so the character combines these ideas to mean 'male'.

What is a good memory trick to remember 男?

What should I watch out for when writing 男?

How can I tell 男 apart from similar characters like 田 and 由?

When and how is 男 used in modern Chinese?

What common words use 男?

How to Write 男 (nán) — Meaning “Male”

Practice Writing 男 (nán)

How to Write 男

What Does nán (男) Mean in Chinese?

Character Data

Origin of 男

Common Words with 男

Example Sentences

Similar Characters Comparison

Practice Writing 男 (nán)

Frequently Asked Questions about 男

More HSK Level 1 Characters

Characters with Radical 田

Other 7-Stroke Characters