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榄 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
榄lǎnoliveg, 13 strokes, radical 木, rank #37555, Very Hard
lǎn(lan3) T3
  1. 1olive
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
榄(欖)lǎn(lan3)

The character 榄 (lǎn) refers primarily to the olive tree and its fruit. In culinary contexts, it often pertains to olives used in cooking or oil production, and it is commonly encountered in discussions about Mediterranean cuisine or health benefits associated with olives.

Strokes13Radical木Frequency#37555DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, olives are recognized for their health benefits and are often used in traditional dishes, especially in coastal regions where Mediterranean influences are present.

Memory Tip

Imagine an olive tree with its branches reaching out, forming the character 榄. The radical 木 (tree) combined with the sound component 览 (lǎn) helps you remember it means 'olive.' Picture a lush olive grove where the olives grow, and you can hear ‘lǎn’ echoing like a gentle breeze through the leaves.

Meanings of 榄

lǎn(lan3)
1olive
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 榄

榄Simplified
欖Traditional
13Strokes
木Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 榄

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Podcast: 榄

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AI Study Notes for 榄

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine an olive tree with its branches reaching out, forming the character 榄. The radical 木 (tree) combined with the sound component 览 (lǎn) helps you remember it means 'olive.' Picture a lush olive grove where the olives grow, and you can hear ‘lǎn’ echoing like a gentle breeze through the leaves.

Usage Notes

榄 is primarily used in formal contexts related to food and agriculture. Be cautious of the pronunciation; the third tone (lǎn) can be easily confused with other similar sounds. Common collocations include 榄油 (lǎn yóu), which means 'olive oil.'

HSK Study Tips

Though not currently part of HSK vocabulary,榄 connects to other food-related terms and agricultural words in levels 3 and 4. Focus on pronunciation and usage in culinary contexts to help build your vocabulary around food.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, olives are recognized for their health benefits and are often used in traditional dishes, especially in coastal regions where Mediterranean influences are present.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 榄 with similar sounding characters like 橄 (gǎn) which refers to different kinds of fruit trees. For example, saying '我喜欢吃橄' instead of '我喜欢吃榄' could lead to confusion.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 榄

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Etymology of 榄

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

tree

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

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 榄?

Decomposition of 榄

IDS Structure⿰木览
榄Full Character
=
木Mu4
left
览lan3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 榄?

Write 榄

榄

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

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Grammar Patterns of 榄

榄 carries one core meaning. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.

Exercise 1 of 5

Complete the Sentence

我为他代写《电讯报》每周的橄____球专栏。

I ghosted his weekly rugby column for the Telegraph.

Example Sentences for 榄 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
我为他代写《电讯报》每周的橄榄球专栏。

wǒ wéi tā dài xiě《 《 diàn xùn》 bào 》 měi zhōu de gǎn lǎn qiú。

I ghosted his weekly rugby column for the Telegraph.
2
陪审团裁决全国橄榄球联盟触犯了反垄断法。

péi shěn tuán cái jué quán guó gǎn lǎn qiú lián méng chù fàn le fǎn lǒng duàn fǎ。

The jury found that the NFL had violated antitrust laws.
3
澳大利亚的英式橄榄球联盟队创纪录地赢了法国队。

ào dà lì yà de yīng shì gǎn lǎn qiú lián méng duì chuàng jì lù dì yíng le fǎ guó duì。

Australia's rugby union side enjoyed a record-breaking win over France.
4
橄榄被石磙碾成了酱。

gǎn lǎn bèi shí gǔn niǎn chéng le jiàng。

The olives are crushed to a pulp by stone rollers.
5
参加巡回比赛的法国橄榄球队成绩有喜有悲。

cān jiā xún huí bǐ sài de fǎ guó gǎn lǎn qiú duì chéng jì yǒu xǐ yǒu bēi。

There were mixed fortunes for French rugby teams on tour.
6
离我们学校两个街区远的地方有个男孩们玩橄榄球的球场。

lí wǒ mén xué xiào liǎng gè jiē qū yuǎn de dì fāng yǒu gè nán hái mén wán gǎn lǎn qiú de qiú cháng。

Two blocks beyond our school was a field where boys played football.
7
他的观众主要是橄榄球俱乐部里那些纵酒作乐的人。

tā de guān zhòng zhǔ yào shì gǎn lǎn qiú jù lè bù lǐ nà xiē zòng jiǔ zuò lè de rén。

His audience consists predominantly of groups of rugby-club revellers.
8
球员可以给烤菜豆做广告，但不能代言橄榄球靴。

qiú yuán kě yǐ gěi kǎo cài dòu zuò guǎng gào， ， dàn bù néng dài yán gǎn lǎn qiú。

The players can advertise baked beans, but not rugby boots.
9
走廊的一面墙上贴满了他橄榄球生涯里各个时期的照片。

zǒu láng de yī miàn qiáng shàng tiē mǎn le tā gǎn lǎn qiú shēng yá lǐ gè gè shí qī de zhào piàn。

Lining a corridor is a wall of photographs spanning his rugby days.
10
加点香料、干果或橄榄以换换口味。

jiā diǎn xiāng liào、 、 gān guǒ huò gǎn lǎn yǐ huàn huàn kǒu。

Ring the changes by adding spices, dried fruit or olives.

Cultural Notes for 榄

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, olives are recognized for their health benefits and are often used in traditional dishes, especially in coastal regions where Mediterranean influences are present.

🌏Cross-cultural Insight

In Western cultures, olives are often associated with Mediterranean diets and tapas, whereas in Chinese culture, they might not hold the same culinary significance outside of specific regional cuisines.

Word Family of 榄

Words Containing This Character9
橄榄球football played with oval-shaped ball (rugby, American football, Australian rules etc)橄欖球
橄榄olive橄欖
橄榄油olive oil橄欖油
榄lǎnolive欖
橄榄石peridot橄欖石
橄榄枝olive branch橄欖枝
橄榄岩peridotite (geology)橄欖岩
橄榄树olive tree橄欖樹
乌榄black olive (Canarium tramdenum)烏欖
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 橄榄球 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 榄

榄 (lǎn) specifically refers to olives, while 橄 (gǎn) usually refers to the broader category of fruit-bearing trees, particularly in the context of '橄榄树' (olive tree).