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尴 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
尴gānembarrasseda, 13 strokes, radical 尢, rank #94586, Very Hard
尴gānill at easea, 13 strokes, radical 尢, rank #94586, Very Hard
尴gānembarrassed; ill-at-easea, 13 strokes, radical 尢, rank #94586, Very Hard
gān(gan1) T1
  1. 1embarrassed
  2. 2ill at ease
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
尴(尷)gān(gan1)

The character 尴 (gān) conveys feelings of embarrassment or awkwardness. It is often used in social contexts where someone feels uncomfortable or ill at ease, such as making a mistake in front of others or being in an embarrassing situation.

Strokes13Radical尢Frequency#94586DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

The feeling of embarrassment is significant in Chinese culture, where saving face is important. Situations that cause 尴 can lead to social discomfort, making it essential to navigate interpersonal interactions carefully.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person at a party trying to fit in but accidentally spilling a drink. The character 尴 can be visualized as someone 'gān' (embarrassed) trying to clean up the mess, representing their awkwardness. The left side looks like a person, while the right side can remind you of a 'difficult' situation.

Meanings of 尴

gān(gan1)
1embarrassed
2ill at ease
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 尴

尴Simplified
尷Traditional
13Strokes
尢Radical
形容词xíngróngcíadjective (adj.)Part of Speech
#65535Frequency Rank

Podcast: 尴

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Podcast: 尴

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AI Study Notes for 尴

Quick Contrast

尴 (gān) vs 忌 (jì) — use 尴 for social embarrassment, while 忌 refers to being taboo or having a dislike.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a person at a party trying to fit in but accidentally spilling a drink. The character 尴 can be visualized as someone 'gān' (embarrassed) trying to clean up the mess, representing their awkwardness. The left side looks like a person, while the right side can remind you of a 'difficult' situation.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 尴 (gān) with similar-sounding words; it specifically relates to embarrassment and is often used in informal contexts. Common collocations include 尴尬 (gāngà), which means 'awkward.' Remember to use the correct tone to convey the feeling accurately.

HSK Study Tips

Though 尴 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, it is useful for intermediate learners working on social interactions. Focus on using it in sentences about personal experiences to internalize its meaning.

Cultural Note

The feeling of embarrassment is significant in Chinese culture, where saving face is important. Situations that cause 尴 can lead to social discomfort, making it essential to navigate interpersonal interactions carefully.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 尴 with similar characters like 感 (gǎn), which means 'feel.' An incorrect sentence might be '我感尴尬' ('I feel embarrassed'), which should be corrected to '我觉得尴尬' ('I feel embarrassed').

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 尴

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Etymology of 尴

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

Phonosemantic compound. 尢 represents the meaning and 监 represents the sound. Simplified form of 尷.

Memory Hint

lame

Semantic (meaning)尢
+
Phonetic (sound)监
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 尴?

Decomposition of 尴

IDS Structure⿺尢监
尴Full Character
=
尢you2
enclosing
监jian1
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 尴?

Write 尴

尴

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

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Grammar Patterns of 尴

尴 functions as an adjective. In Chinese it behaves like a stative verb: place it directly after the subject without 是 (我很高，not 我是高). Use 不 to negate (不高) and pair it with 很 in plain affirmative sentences. It carries 3 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons2
Exercise 1 of 1

Complete the Sentence

笑也不是，不笑也不是，真让人____尬。

Laughing isn't right, not laughing isn't right either — it's really awkward.

Example Sentences for 尴 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
这令我陷入了不得不说谎的尴尬境地。

zhè líng wǒ xiàn rù le bù dé bù shuō huǎng de gān gà jìng dì。

It put me in the unenviable position of having to lie.
2
女孩尴尬地说了句“这是马尔科姆”，打破了沉默。

nǚ hái gān gà dì shuō le jù“ “ zhè shì mǎ ěr kē”， mǔ ”， dǎ pò le。

"This is Malcolm," the girl said awkwardly, to fill the silence.
3
在诺丁汉我经历了自己在童话剧演出中最尴尬的时刻之一。

zài nuò dīng hàn wǒ jīng lì le zì jǐ zài tóng huà jù yǎn chū zhōng zuì gān gà de shí kè zhī yī。

I had one of my most embarrassing moments in panto in Nottingham.
4
一旦披露出去，真相会让人非常尴尬。

yī dàn pī lòu chū qù， ， zhēn xiāng huì ràng rén fēi cháng gān。

The facts could cause embarrassment if they ever became public.
5
提及性治疗，大多数人会尴尬地偷笑。

tí jí xìng zhì liáo， ， dà duō shù rén huì gān gà dì tōu。

Mention sex therapy and most people will titter in embarrassment.
6
她老是让自己的处境很尴尬。

tā lǎo shì ràng zì jǐ de chǔ jìng hěn gān gà。

She has a knack of landing herself right in the soup.
7
他的部下亮出一大堆令人尴尬的资料来。

tā de bù xià liàng chū yī dà duī líng rén gān gà de zī liào lái。

His people came up with a load of embarrassing information.
8
讨论这个话题太尴尬，我不想让弗朗西斯难堪。

tǎo lùn zhè gè huà tí tài gān gà， ， wǒ bù xiǎng ràng fú lǎng xī sī nán。

I wanted to spare Frances the embarrassment of discussing this subject.
9
如果我把谁弄哭了，我会尴尬的。

rú guǒ wǒ bǎ shuí nòng kū le， ， wǒ huì gān gà。

If I reduced somebody to tears I'd be mortified.
10
在一场尴尬的新闻发布会上，金先生回避了有关指控的问题。

zài yī cháng gān gà de xīn wén fā bù huì shàng， ， jīn xiān shēng huí bì le yǒu guān zhǐ kòng de wèn。

In an awkward press conference, Mr King parried questions on the allegations.

Cultural Notes for 尴

🏮Cultural insight

The feeling of embarrassment is significant in Chinese culture, where saving face is important. Situations that cause 尴 can lead to social discomfort, making it essential to navigate interpersonal interactions carefully.

Word Family of 尴

Words Containing This Character2
尴尬gāngàawkward尷尬
尴gānembarrassed尷
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 尴尬 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 尴

You can say: '我觉得有点尴尬' (Wǒ juéde yǒudiǎn gāngà) meaning 'I feel a bit embarrassed.'