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How to Write 陕 (shǎn) — Meaning “Shaanxi (abbreviation)”

shǎn 8 strokes Radical: 阝

陕 (shǎn) means "Shaanxi (abbreviation)" in Chinese. It has 8 strokes with the radical 阝.

Rated 3.4/5 in difficulty (challenging).

Appears in 3+ common words including 陕西 (shǎn xī), 陕北 (shǎn běi), 陕菜 (shǎn cài).

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

Stroke order practice for 陕 - shǎn

Practice Writing 陕 (shǎn)

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How to Write 陕

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

陕 means Shaanxi (abbreviation).

Character Data

Character陕
Pinyinshǎn (shan)
MeaningShaanxi (abbreviation)
Strokes8
Radical阝
Difficulty3.4/5

Origin of 陕

陕 combines the radical 阝 (hill/mound) with 夹 (to squeeze, depicting a person with arms pressed inward), suggesting a narrow pass between hills—a geographical feature of the ancient strategic defile that gave Shaanxi its name.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture a hill (阝) with two people squeezed tightly together (夹) trying to slip through a narrow mountain pass into Shaanxi.

Common Words with 陕

陕西 shǎn xī
Shaanxi (province)
陕北 shǎn běi
Northern Shaanxi
陕菜 shǎn cài
Shaanxi cuisine

Example Sentences

陕西是一个省。

shǎn xī shì yí gè shěng

Shaanxi is a province.

陕北的风景很美。

shǎn běi de fēng jǐng hěn měi

The scenery in Northern Shaanxi is very beautiful.

我喜欢吃陕菜。

wǒ xǐ huān chī shǎn cài

I like eating Shaanxi cuisine.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character Pinyin Strokes Radical
陕 (current) shǎn 8 阝
邠 bīn 6 阝
邡 fāng 6 阝
邢 xíng 6 阝
Stroke order practice for 陕 - shǎn

Practice Writing 陕 (shǎn)

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

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Frequently Asked Questions about 陕

陕 is composed of the left radical 阝 (representing a mound or hill) and the right component 夹 (meaning 'to press from both sides'). Together, they hint at a place surrounded by hills, which relates to Shaanxi province's mountainous geography.

Characters with Radical 阝

邓dèng邗hán邘yú邙máng邛qióng邝kuàng邠bīn邡fāng邢xíng那nà

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