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March 24, 2026
欿kǎn(kan3)
The character 欿 (kǎn) conveys a sense of sadness or gloominess, often reflecting a deeper discontent with oneself or one's circumstances. It can be used to describe emotional states or situations that evoke feelings of disappointment or melancholy.
Strokes12Radical欠Frequency#—DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, expressing discontent or sadness is often seen through poetry and literature, where characters like 欿 may appear in works that explore themes of unfulfilled desires or the impermanence of life.
Memory Tip
Imagine a sad person sitting under a tree (木), feeling gloomy and discontented. The tree's branches droop like their spirits, and the sound of 'kǎn' resembles a sigh of despair, helping you remember the feeling of gloom.
Meanings of 欿
kǎn(kan3)
1sad, gloomy, discontent
2discontented with oneself
Exercise 1 of 2
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About 欿
欿Simplified
12Strokes
欠Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
Podcast: 欿
Podcast: 欿
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AI Study Notes for 欿
Memory Mnemonic
Imagine a sad person sitting under a tree (木), feeling gloomy and discontented. The tree's branches droop like their spirits, and the sound of 'kǎn' resembles a sigh of despair, helping you remember the feeling of gloom.
Usage Notes
Common mistakes include using 欿 in overly positive contexts, as it strictly conveys negative emotions. It's more frequently used in written Chinese, so learners should be careful about using it in casual conversations. Be aware of its tone; 'kǎn' can easily be confused with other tones.
HSK Study Tips
Although 欿 is not included in the HSK levels, it can be related to emotional vocabulary. Students should focus on the emotional context and synonyms for sadness to build a broader vocabulary around feelings.
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, expressing discontent or sadness is often seen through poetry and literature, where characters like 欿 may appear in works that explore themes of unfulfilled desires or the impermanence of life.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 欿 with more common emotional words like 悲 (bēi) meaning 'sad', which can lead to inappropriate usage. For example, saying '我很欿' (I am very kǎn) instead of '我很悲' (I am very sad) can sound unnatural.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 欿
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Cultural Notes for 欿
🏮Cultural insight
In Chinese culture, expressing discontent or sadness is often seen through poetry and literature, where characters like 欿 may appear in works that explore themes of unfulfilled desires or the impermanence of life.
Word Family of 欿
Words Containing This Character1
欿kǎndiscontented with oneself
Exercise 1 of 1
Compound Meaning
What does 欿 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 欿
It can describe someone feeling sad or discontented, such as '他对此事感到欿' (He feels discontented about this matter).
It is pronounced as 'kǎn', where the 'k' is similar to the English 'k' and 'ǎn' has a falling-rising tone.
It's more commonly used in written contexts or poetry, so it may not be suitable for casual conversations.
