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纜 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
纜lǎncable, hawser, heavy-duty ropex, 27 strokes, radical 糹
lǎn(lan3)lan T3
  1. 1cable, hawser, heavy-duty rope
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March 24, 2026

纜lǎn(lan3)

The character 纜 (lǎn) refers to a heavy-duty cable or rope, often used in maritime contexts for mooring ships or securing cargo. It can also describe cables used in construction and electrical applications. Its usage implies strength and durability.

Strokes27Radical糹
Cultural note

In Chinese maritime culture, the use of strong cables and hawser is essential for ship safety, reflecting the country's long history of trade and fishing. The character 纜 embodies the importance of secure mooring in coastal cities.

Memory tip

Imagine a strong, thick cable holding a ship in place at the dock. The character 纜 has the radical 纟 (silk) at the top, suggesting something strong and intertwined, while the bottom part resembles a sturdy anchor, reinforcing the idea of stability.

Meanings of 纜

lǎn(lan3)
1cable, hawser, heavy-duty rope
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 纜

纜Simplified
27Strokes
糹Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 纜

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Podcast: 纜

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AI Study Notes for 纜

Quick Contrast

绳 (shéng, rope) vs 线 (xiàn, line) — use 纜 (lǎn) for heavy-duty cables, whereas 绳 refers to lighter ropes and 线 denotes thin lines or threads.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 纜 (lǎn) with similar characters like 绳 (shéng), which means 'rope' but is usually lighter. This term is more formal and is often used in technical or nautical contexts, so avoid it in casual conversation.

HSK Study Tips

Although 纜 is not part of the HSK curriculum, understanding it can enhance your vocabulary related to shipping and construction. Focus on the radicals and related terms like 绳 (rope) and 线 (line) at earlier levels to build a foundation.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly use 纜 (lǎn) interchangeably with lighter terms like 绳 (shéng). For instance, saying '我需要一根纜' (I need a rope) is incorrect; it should be '我需要一根绳' for lighter rope.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 纜

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Etymology of 纜

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

thread

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

Origin

纜 = 糹 + 覽. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 纜

IDS Structure⿰糹覽
纜Full character
=
糹si1
left
覽lan3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 纜?

How to say cable, hawser, heavy-duty rope in Chinese

“cable, hawser, heavy-duty rope” in Chinese is纜lǎn

The character 纜 (lǎn) refers to a heavy-duty cable or rope, often used in maritime contexts for mooring ships or securing cargo. It can also describe cables used in construction and electrical applications. Its usage implies strength and durability.

When to use 纜

Be careful not to confuse 纜 (lǎn) with similar characters like 绳 (shéng), which means 'rope' but is usually lighter. This term is more formal and is often used in technical or nautical contexts, so avoid it in casual conversation.

纜 or something close to it

绳 (shéng, rope) vs 线 (xiàn, line) — use 纜 (lǎn) for heavy-duty cables, whereas 绳 refers to lighter ropes and 线 denotes thin lines or threads.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mistakenly use 纜 (lǎn) interchangeably with lighter terms like 绳 (shéng). For instance, saying '我需要一根纜' (I need a rope) is incorrect; it should be '我需要一根绳' for lighter rope.

Write 纜

纜

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

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Word Family of 纜

Words containing this character11
电缆(electric) cable電纜
缆lǎncable纜
缆车lǎnchēcable car纜車
光缆guānglǎnoptical cable光纜
缆绳cable纜繩
钢缆steel cable鋼纜
缆索cable纜索
同轴电缆coaxial cable同軸電纜
线缆cable線纜
解缆to untie a mooring rope解纜
缆桩mooring bollard纜樁
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 纜

What does 电缆 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 纜

It is pronounced as lǎn, with a falling-rising tone.

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