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擀 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
擀gǎnto roll or knead doughv, 16 strokes, radical 扌, rank #47583, Very Hard
擀gǎnto roll (dough etc)unknown, 16 strokes, radical 扌, rank #47583, Very Hard
gǎn(gan3) T3
  1. 1to roll or knead dough
  2. 2to roll (dough etc)
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March 24, 2026

擀gǎn(gan3)

The verb 擀 (gǎn) means to roll out or knead dough, commonly used in the context of preparing various types of pastries or noodles. It conveys the action of flattening dough with a rolling pin, emphasizing the technique involved in culinary practices.

Strokes16Radical扌Frequency#47583DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese cuisine, the technique of rolling dough is essential for making popular foods such as dumplings and noodles. Mastering 擀 is a rite of passage for many aspiring home cooks in China.

Memory Tip

Imagine a giant rolling pin rolling over a giant piece of dough, 'gǎn' sounds like 'gone' as in 'the dough is gone flat'. Visualize the rolling pin as a magic wand that transforms the dough into something thin and perfect.

Meanings of 擀

gǎn(gan3)
1to roll or knead dough
2to roll (dough etc)
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

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About 擀

擀Simplified
16Strokes
扌Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 擀

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Podcast: 擀

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AI Study Notes for 擀

Quick Contrast

擀 (gǎn) vs 揉 (róu) — use 擀 when specifically referring to rolling out dough, while 揉 is for kneading or massaging dough.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a giant rolling pin rolling over a giant piece of dough, 'gǎn' sounds like 'gone' as in 'the dough is gone flat'. Visualize the rolling pin as a magic wand that transforms the dough into something thin and perfect.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 擀 with similar-sounding verbs. It is typically used in informal contexts when discussing cooking or baking. Common collocations include 擀面团 (gǎn miàntuán - to roll out dough) and 擀皮 (gǎn pí - to roll out the skin for dumplings).

HSK Study Tips

Although 擀 is not in the official HSK list, it connects well with basic cooking vocabulary at HSK 2-3. Focus on verbs related to food preparation to build a relevant vocabulary base for culinary topics.

Cultural Note

In Chinese cuisine, the technique of rolling dough is essential for making popular foods such as dumplings and noodles. Mastering 擀 is a rite of passage for many aspiring home cooks in China.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 擀 with the character 赶 (gǎn), which means to hurry. For example, saying '我在赶面团' (Wǒ zài gǎn miàntuán) is incorrect; it should be '我在擀面团'.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 擀

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Etymology of 擀

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

hand

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

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 擀?

Decomposition of 擀

IDS Structure⿰扌幹
擀Full Character
=
扌shou3
left
幹gan4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 擀?

Write 擀

擀

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

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Grammar Patterns of 擀

擀 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 2 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.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

把面团____开，擀得越薄越好。

Roll the pasta out as thinly as possible.

Example Sentences for 擀 (7)

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1
把面团擀开，擀得越薄越好。

bǎ miàn tuán gǎn kāi， ， gǎn dé yuè báo yuè。

Roll the pasta out as thinly as possible.
2
把油酥面团一分为二，再分别擀成皮。

bǎ yóu sū miàn tuán yī fēn wéi èr， ， zài fēn bié gǎn chéng。

Divide the pastry in half and roll out each piece.
3
先把糖浆倒在它上面,然后用擀面杖把糖浆摊开来.

xiān bǎ táng jiāng dǎo zài tā shàng miàn, , rán hòu yòng gǎn miàn zhàng bǎ táng jiāng tān kāi.

Pour syrup on it and spread it abroad with a rolling pin.
4
取一张擀得很薄的油酥面皮，上面刷上一层熔化的牛油。

qǔ yī zhāng gǎn dé hěn báo de yóu sū miàn pí， ， shàng miàn shuā shàng yī céng róng huà de niú。

Take a sheet of filo pastry and brush it with melted butter.
5
在擀面杖上撒上薄薄的一层面粉。

zài gǎn miàn zhàng shàng sā shàng báo báo de yī céng miàn fěn。

Lightly flour a rolling pin.
6
把油酥面团擀薄然后切成长条。

bǎ yóu sū miàn tuán gǎn báo rán hòu qiē chéng cháng tiáo。

Roll out the pastry and cut into narrow strips.
7
在等油酥糕饼凉的时候，可以把这些面团擀薄些。

zài děng yóu sū gāo bǐng liáng de shí hòu， ， kě yǐ bǎ zhè xiē miàn tuán gǎn báo。

These doughs can be rolled out while you wait for the pastry to chill.

Cultural Notes for 擀

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese cuisine, the technique of rolling dough is essential for making popular foods such as dumplings and noodles. Mastering 擀 is a rite of passage for many aspiring home cooks in China.

Word Family of 擀

Words Containing This Character2
擀gǎnto roll (dough etc)
擀面杖rolling pin擀麵杖
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 擀 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 擀

You can say, '我在擀面团' (Wǒ zài gǎn miàntuán - I am rolling out dough).