How to Write 斩 (zhǎn) — Meaning “To chop / To behead”

Imagine a vehicle (车) that carries a sharp axe (斤) used to chop things. This picture helps you remember that 斩 means 'to chop' or 'to behead'. The two components together create a vivid scene of cutting with a tool.

Write the left radical 车 first with four strokes: horizontal, diagonal fold, horizontal, vertical. Then write the right part 斤: two diagonal strokes, then horizontal, then vertical. Make sure the vertical stroke of 车 does not extend too far to the right, and the 斤 sits balanced next to it.

斩 has 斤 (axe) on the right, meaning 'chop', while 轨 has 九 (nine) on the right and means 'track' or 'rail'. 軎 is a rare character with a different right component and refers to the end of an axle. Visually, the right sides are completely different, so check the shape carefully.

斩 appears in formal words like 斩断 (cut off) and 斩首 (beheading, often in historical or legal contexts). It is also used in 斩获 (gains), such as '斩获金牌' meaning 'win a gold medal'. The character carries a strong, decisive tone and is not common in casual conversation.

Common words containing 斩 include: 斩断 (zhǎn duàn) — To cut off / To sever; 斩获 (zhǎn huò) — Gains / To capture; 斩首 (zhǎn shǒu) — Beheading / Decapitation.