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剷 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
剷chǎnto raze, to pare, to level offzg, 13 strokes, radical 刂
chǎn(chan3) T3
  1. 1to raze, to pare, to level off
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

剷chǎn(chan3)

The character 剷 (chǎn) means to raze, pare, or level off surfaces. It is commonly used in contexts involving construction or landscaping, where something is being flattened or smoothed out. This word conveys a sense of removal or reduction, often associated with physical work.

Strokes13Radical刂
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese building practices, leveling land was essential for constructing stable structures, reflecting the importance of precision in architecture. The concept of leveling is deeply tied to the idea of harmony with nature.

Memory Tip

Imagine a giant 'chop' (sounds like 'chǎn') that levels a mountain down to a plain. The character 剷 has the radical for 'cut' (刀) on the left, hinting at the action of cutting down or leveling something.

Meanings of 剷

chǎn(chan3)
1to raze, to pare, to level off
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 剷

剷Simplified
13Strokes
刂Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 剷

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Podcast: 剷

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AI Study Notes for 剷

Quick Contrast

平整 (píngzhěng) vs 剷 (chǎn): use 剷 when emphasizing the act of removing material, while 平整 focuses on achieving a smooth or level surface after the work is done.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 剷 (chǎn) with other similar-sounding characters like 缠 (chán, to entangle). This word is more commonly used in formal contexts, such as construction or agriculture, rather than in casual conversation.

HSK Study Tips

Although 剷 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it relates to HSK Level 4 words like 平 (píng, flat) and 切 (qiē, to cut). Students should focus on the concept of modification or alteration in physical contexts.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mispronounce 剷 as 'chán' instead of 'chǎn'. Additionally, they might confuse it with words like 剪 (jiǎn, to cut), which has a different meaning. Always double-check the tones!

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 剷

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Etymology of 剷

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 钅 represents the meaning and 产 represents the sound. Simplified form of 鏟.

Memory Hint

knife

Semantic (meaning)刂
+
Phonetic (sound)産
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 剷

Phonosemantic compound. 钅 represents the meaning and 产 represents the sound. Simplified form of 鏟.

  1. 1The meaning half刂 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half産 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayknife
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 剷? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 剷?

Decomposition of 剷

IDS Structure⿰産刂
剷Full Character
=
産chan3
left
刂dao1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 剷?

How to say to raze, to pare, to level off in Chinese

“to raze, to pare, to level off” in Chinese is剷chǎn

The character 剷 (chǎn) means to raze, pare, or level off surfaces. It is commonly used in contexts involving construction or landscaping, where something is being flattened or smoothed out. This word conveys a sense of removal or reduction, often associated with physical work.

When to use 剷

Be careful not to confuse 剷 (chǎn) with other similar-sounding characters like 缠 (chán, to entangle). This word is more commonly used in formal contexts, such as construction or agriculture, rather than in casual conversation.

剷 or something close to it

平整 (píngzhěng) vs 剷 (chǎn): use 剷 when emphasizing the act of removing material, while 平整 focuses on achieving a smooth or level surface after the work is done.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mispronounce 剷 as 'chán' instead of 'chǎn'. Additionally, they might confuse it with words like 剪 (jiǎn, to cut), which has a different meaning. Always double-check the tones!

Write 剷

剷

Practice writing 剷 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 剷

Words Containing This Character9
铲chǎnto shovel鏟
铲除to root out剷除
铲子chǎnzishovel鏟子
铲车front loader (vehicle)鏟車
锅铲wok spatula鍋鏟
铲平to flatten鏟平
铲土机earth-moving machine鏟土機
铲运机earth-moving machine鏟運機
电铲power shovel電鏟
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 铲 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 剷

You can say '我们需要把这个地方剷平' (Wǒmen xūyào bǎ zhège dìfāng chǎn píng), which means 'We need to level this area.'

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