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橄 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
橄gǎnoliven, 15 strokes, radical 木, rank #95539, Very Hard
gǎn(gan3) T3
  1. 1olive
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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

JasonAmy

Podcast: 橄

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 橄

Memory Mnemonic

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.

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.

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.

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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Etymology of 橄

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

Phonosemantic compound. 木 represents the meaning and 敢 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

tree

Semantic (meaning)木
+
Phonetic (sound)敢
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
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?

Write 橄

橄

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

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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.
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 橄

🏮Cultural insight

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.

Word Family of 橄

Words Containing This Character8
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
橄gǎnolive
橄榄石peridot橄欖石
橄榄岩peridotite (geology)橄欖岩
橄榄枝olive branch橄欖枝
橄榄树olive tree橄欖樹
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 橄榄球 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 橄

橄榄 specifically refers to olives, whereas other fruit names will have different characters that denote their specific types.