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March 24, 2026
橄gǎn(gan3)
The character 橄 (gǎn) refers specifically to the olive tree and its fruit. This word is commonly used in culinary contexts, particularly in relation to olive oil and Mediterranean cuisine, which highlights its importance in cooking and health.
Strokes15Radical木Frequency#95539DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, olives are appreciated not only for their culinary uses but also for their health benefits, particularly in promoting heart health, aligning with traditional Chinese medicine practices.
Memory Tip
Imagine a green olive (橄) resting on a branch (木) of a tree. The '木' radical suggests that it is a plant, while '橄' sounds like 'gan,' which can remind you of a garden full of olives.
Meanings of 橄
gǎn(gan3)
1olive
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 橄
橄Simplified
15Strokes
木Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
Podcast: 橄
Podcast: 橄
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AI Study Notes for 橄
Usage Notes
Be mindful of the tone when pronouncing 橄; the third tone can be tricky. It's often used in more formal contexts related to food and health, so it may not appear frequently in casual conversation. Common collocations include 橄榄油 (olive oil).
HSK Study Tips
While 橄 is not part of the standard HSK vocabulary, it relates to food and health topics often covered in beginner to intermediate levels. Students should focus on recognizing its structure and understanding its context within culinary discussions.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 橄 with other similar fruit characters, such as 桃 (táo - peach). A common error is saying 橄桃 (gǎn táo) which incorrectly combines the characters; the correct term should just be 橄榄.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 橄
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Drill the tone of 橄 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.
Phonosemantic compound. 木 represents the meaning and 敢 represents the sound.
1The meaning half木 carries the sense.
2The sound half敢 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawaytree
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 橄? 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 橄?
Decomposition of 橄
IDS Structure⿰木敢
橄Full Character
=
木Mu4
left
敢gan3
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 橄?
How to say olive in Chinese
“olive” in Chinese is橄gǎn
The character 橄 (gǎn) refers specifically to the olive tree and its fruit. This word is commonly used in culinary contexts, particularly in relation to olive oil and Mediterranean cuisine, which highlights its importance in cooking and health.
When to use 橄
Be mindful of the tone when pronouncing 橄; the third tone can be tricky. It's often used in more formal contexts related to food and health, so it may not appear frequently in casual conversation. Common collocations include 橄榄油 (olive oil).
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 橄 with other similar fruit characters, such as 桃 (táo - peach). A common error is saying 橄桃 (gǎn táo) which incorrectly combines the characters; the correct term should just be 橄榄.
Write 橄
橄
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Practice writing 橄 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Write correctly 3 times to earn XP
Grammar Patterns of 橄
橄 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Exercise 1 of 5
Complete the Sentence
我为他代写《电讯报》每周的____榄球专栏。
I ghosted his weekly rugby column for the Telegraph.
Example Sentences for 橄 (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.
