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戰 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
zhànwar, fighting, battlezg, 16 strokes, radical 戈, Very Hard
zhàn(zhan4) T4
  1. 1war, fighting, battle
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

zhàn(zhan4)

The character 戰 (zhàn) refers to war, fighting, or battle. It is commonly used in contexts related to military conflict, competition, or any struggle that involves intense effort and confrontation. This character can convey both physical confrontations and metaphorical struggles, such as in business or sports.

Strokes16RadicalFrequency#—DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese history, the concept of 戰 is deeply rooted in the importance of military strategy and honor, as seen in classic texts like 'The Art of War' by Sun Tzu. The character often appears in discussions about historical battles and military philosophy.

Memory Tip

Imagine a warrior (the left radical 戈) standing tall, ready to fight (戰) on the battlefield. The two parts resemble an intense battle scene: the warrior wielding a weapon and the chaos of war around him. Remember the sound 'zhàn' as you visualize the clash of swords.

Meanings of 戰

zhàn(zhan4)
1war, fighting, battle
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 戰

Simplified
16Strokes
Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 戰

JasonAmy

Podcast:

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AI Study Notes for 戰

Quick Contrast

战争 (zhànzhēng) vs 战斗 (zhàndòu) — use 战争 for broader contexts of war, while 战斗 refers specifically to battles or fights within that context.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a warrior (the left radical 戈) standing tall, ready to fight (戰) on the battlefield. The two parts resemble an intense battle scene: the warrior wielding a weapon and the chaos of war around him. Remember the sound 'zhàn' as you visualize the clash of swords.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 戰 (zhàn) with similar characters that refer to peace or absence of conflict. This word is mostly used in a formal context, such as historical discussions or news reports about conflicts. Common collocations include '戰爭' (zhànzhēng), meaning 'war', and '戰鬥' (zhàndòu), meaning 'fight' or 'battle'.

HSK Study Tips

Though 戰 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it connects well with other characters related to conflict or struggle, like 贏 (yíng - to win) and 輸 (shū - to lose). Students should focus on understanding its usage in various contexts, especially in phrases associated with military or competitive settings.

Cultural Note

In Chinese history, the concept of 戰 is deeply rooted in the importance of military strategy and honor, as seen in classic texts like 'The Art of War' by Sun Tzu. The character often appears in discussions about historical battles and military philosophy.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 戰 (zhàn) with 和 (hé), which means 'peace'. For example, saying '我們要戰和平' (wǒmen yào zhàn hé píng - 'we want to fight for peace') is incorrect; it should be '我們要爭取和平' (wǒmen yào zhēngqǔ hé píng - 'we want to strive for peace').

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 戰

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Etymology of 戰

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

Phonosemantic compound. 戈 represents the meaning and 占 represents the sound. Simplified form of 戰.

Memory Hint

spear

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

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 戰?

Decomposition of 戰

IDS Structure⿰單戈
Full Character
=
dan1
left
Ge1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 戰?

Write 戰

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Cultural Notes for 戰

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese history, the concept of 戰 is deeply rooted in the importance of military strategy and honor, as seen in classic texts like 'The Art of War' by Sun Tzu. The character often appears in discussions about historical battles and military philosophy.

Word Family of 戰

Words Containing This Character20
战争zhànzhēngwar戰爭
zhànfight
挑战tiǎozhànto challenge挑戰
战斗zhàndòuto fight戰鬥
战略zhànlüèstrategy戰略
战士zhànshìfighter戰士
战胜zhànshèngto defeat戰勝
作战zuòzhàncombat作戰
战术zhànshùtactics戰術
战场zhànchǎngbattlefield戰場
大战war大戰
战役zhànyìmilitary campaign戰役
开战to start a war開戰
战机war secret戰機
战线battle line戰線
战友zhànyǒucomrade-in-arms戰友
战斗机fighter (aircraft)戰鬥機
二战World War II二戰
备战prepared against war備戰
战利品spoils of war戰利品
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 战争 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 戰

While 戰 is commonly recognized, its use is more prevalent in formal discussions about historical or military topics rather than in everyday conversation.