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艮 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
Hanzi
Pinyin
English
Tags
艮
gěn
blunt; tough, chewy
g, 6 strokes, radical 艮, rank #16902, Very Hard
艮
gěn
one of the Eight Trigrams 八卦[ba1 gua4], symbolizing mountain
unknown, 6 strokes, radical 艮, rank #16902, Very Hard
艮
gěn
☶
unknown, 6 strokes, radical 艮, rank #16902, Very Hard
艮
gěn
ancient Chinese compass point: 45° (northeast)
unknown, 6 strokes, radical 艮, rank #16902, Very Hard
艮
gèn
blunt; tough, chewy
g, 6 strokes, radical 艮, rank #16902, Very Hard
艮
gèn
one of the Eight Trigrams 八卦[ba1 gua4], symbolizing mountain
unknown, 6 strokes, radical 艮, rank #16902, Very Hard
艮
gèn
☶
unknown, 6 strokes, radical 艮, rank #16902, Very Hard
艮
gèn
ancient Chinese compass point: 45° (northeast)
unknown, 6 strokes, radical 艮, rank #16902, Very Hard
gěn(gen3)gen
primary
T3
1blunt; tough, chewy
2one of the Eight Trigrams 八卦[ba1 gua4], symbolizing mountain
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
艮gěn(gen3)
The character 艮 (gěn) primarily means 'blunt' or 'tough' and is often used to describe something that is chewy in texture. It is also one of the Eight Trigrams (八卦), symbolizing a mountain, representing stability, stillness, and the northeast compass direction in ancient Chinese culture.
Strokes6Radical艮Frequency#16902DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note
In traditional Chinese philosophy, the Eight Trigrams are foundational to understanding the yin-yang theory and are used in various practices such as feng shui and divination, making 艮 significant in cultural contexts.
Memory tip
Imagine a tough piece of meat that is hard to chew, representing the character 艮 (gěn). The character's components visually resemble a mountain, which connects to its meaning of 'stability' and 'bluntness.' Picture yourself struggling to chew this tough meat on a mountain hike.
Meanings of 艮
gěn(gen3)
primary
1blunt; tough, chewy
2one of the Eight Trigrams 八卦[ba1 gua4], symbolizing mountain
Exercise 1 of 2
By ear
Play it, then pick what 艮 means.
About 艮
艮Simplified
6Strokes
艮Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
Podcast: 艮
Podcast: 艮
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AI study notes for 艮
Usage Notes
Learners often confuse 艮 with similar sounding characters. It is important to use it in contexts related to toughness or stability. In formal contexts, it can describe something that is metaphorically 'blunt' or 'difficult' to deal with.
HSK Study Tips
While 艮 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it relates to characters describing properties and qualities, which are common in HSK levels. Students should focus on understanding how it connects with other adjectives describing textures and characteristics.
Common Mistakes
Learners often mispronounce 艮 as 'gen' instead of 'gěn', leading to misunderstandings. Additionally, using it in contexts unrelated to toughness can confuse its meaning, such as saying '这道菜很艮' (This dish is very blunt), which should be '这道菜很硬' (This dish is very hard).
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 艮
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The character 艮 (gěn) primarily means 'blunt' or 'tough' and is often used to describe something that is chewy in texture. It is also one of the Eight Trigrams (八卦), symbolizing a mountain, representing stability, stillness, and the northeast compass direction in ancient Chinese culture.
When to use 艮
Learners often confuse 艮 with similar sounding characters. It is important to use it in contexts related to toughness or stability. In formal contexts, it can describe something that is metaphorically 'blunt' or 'difficult' to deal with.
What learners get wrong
Learners often mispronounce 艮 as 'gen' instead of 'gěn', leading to misunderstandings. Additionally, using it in contexts unrelated to toughness can confuse its meaning, such as saying '这道菜很艮' (This dish is very blunt), which should be '这道菜很硬' (This dish is very hard).
Write 艮
艮
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Practice writing 艮 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar patterns of 艮
艮 carries 4 distinct meanings. 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
Fill the gap
Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.
这是一种很棒的葡萄酒，温和醇厚，更像传统的勃____第葡萄酒。
It is a magnificent wine with a soft voluptuousness more reminiscent of old-fashioned burgundy.
Example sentences for 艮 (28)
Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
这是一种很棒的葡萄酒，温和醇厚，更像传统的勃艮第葡萄酒。
zhè shì yī zhǒng hěn bàng de pútaojiǔ， wēnhé chúnhòu， gèng xiàng chuántǒng de bó gěn dì pútaojiǔ。
It is a magnificent wine with a soft voluptuousness more reminiscent of old-fashioned burgundy.
2
这个牛肉太艮，我咬不动。
Zhè gè niúròu tài gěn, wǒ yǎo bù dòng.
This beef is too tough; I can't chew it.
3
你觉得这个苹果艮吗？
Nǐ juéde zhè gè píngguǒ gěn ma?
Do you think this apple is tough?
4
这块面包有点艮，不太好吃。
Zhè kuài miànbāo yǒudiǎn gěn, bù tài hǎo chī.
This piece of bread is a bit tough, not very tasty.
5
我不喜欢艮的食物，吃起来太费力。
Wǒ bù xǐhuan gěn de shíwù, chī qǐlai tài fèilì.
I don't like tough food; it's too hard to eat.
6
这个梨子有点艮，不太好咬。
Zhè ge lízi yǒu diǎn gěn, bú tài hǎo yǎo.
This pear is a bit tough, not easy to bite.
7
面条煮得太久会变艮。
Miàntiáo zhǔ de tài jiǔ huì biàn gěn.
Noodles become tough if cooked too long.
8
这块鸡肉有点艮，不如鱼肉嫩。
Zhè kuài jīròu yǒudiǎn gěn, bùrú yúròu nèn.
This piece of chicken is a bit tough, not as tender as fish.
9
我不喜欢这种艮的糖果，太难嚼了。
Wǒ bù xǐhuān zhè zhǒng gěn de tángguǒ, tài nán jiáo le.
I don't like this kind of chewy candy, it's too hard to chew.
10
这个胡萝卜煮得太艮了，孩子们不爱吃。
Zhège húluóbo zhǔ de tài gěn le, háizimen bù ài chī.
This carrot is cooked too tough, the children don't like to eat it.
11
这个牛肉太艮，我咬不动。
Zhè gè niúròu tài gěn, wǒ yǎo bù dòng.
This beef is too tough; I can't chew it.
12
你觉得这个苹果艮吗？
Nǐ juéde zhè gè píngguǒ gěn ma?
Do you think this apple is tough?
13
这块面包有点艮，不太好吃。
Zhè kuài miànbāo yǒudiǎn gěn, bù tài hǎo chī.
This piece of bread is a bit tough, not very tasty.
14
我不喜欢艮的食物，吃起来太费力。
Wǒ bù xǐhuan gěn de shíwù, chī qǐlai tài fèilì.
I don't like tough food; it's too hard to eat.
15
这个梨子有点艮，不太好咬。
Zhè ge lízi yǒu diǎn gěn, bú tài hǎo yǎo.
This pear is a bit tough, not easy to bite.
16
面条煮得太久会变艮。
Miàntiáo zhǔ de tài jiǔ huì biàn gěn.
Noodles become tough if cooked too long.
17
这块鸡肉有点艮，不如鱼肉嫩。
Zhè kuài jīròu yǒudiǎn gěn, bùrú yúròu nèn.
This piece of chicken is a bit tough, not as tender as fish.
18
我不喜欢这种艮的糖果，太难嚼了。
Wǒ bù xǐhuān zhè zhǒng gěn de tángguǒ, tài nán jiáo le.
I don't like this kind of chewy candy, it's too hard to chew.
19
这个胡萝卜煮得太艮了，孩子们不爱吃。
Zhège húluóbo zhǔ de tài gěn le, háizimen bù ài chī.
This carrot is cooked too tough, the children don't like to eat it.
20
这个牛肉太艮，我咬不动。
Zhè gè niúròu tài gěn, wǒ yǎo bù dòng.
This beef is too tough; I can't chew it.
21
你觉得这个苹果艮吗？
Nǐ juéde zhè gè píngguǒ gěn ma?
Do you think this apple is tough?
22
这块面包有点艮，不太好吃。
Zhè kuài miànbāo yǒudiǎn gěn, bù tài hǎo chī.
This piece of bread is a bit tough, not very tasty.
23
我不喜欢艮的食物，吃起来太费力。
Wǒ bù xǐhuan gěn de shíwù, chī qǐlai tài fèilì.
I don't like tough food; it's too hard to eat.
24
这个梨子有点艮，不太好咬。
Zhè ge lízi yǒu diǎn gěn, bú tài hǎo yǎo.
This pear is a bit tough, not easy to bite.
25
面条煮得太久会变艮。
Miàntiáo zhǔ de tài jiǔ huì biàn gěn.
Noodles become tough if cooked too long.
26
这块鸡肉有点艮，不如鱼肉嫩。
Zhè kuài jīròu yǒudiǎn gěn, bùrú yúròu nèn.
This piece of chicken is a bit tough, not as tender as fish.
27
我不喜欢这种艮的糖果，太难嚼了。
Wǒ bù xǐhuān zhè zhǒng gěn de tángguǒ, tài nán jiáo le.
I don't like this kind of chewy candy, it's too hard to chew.
28
这个胡萝卜煮得太艮了，孩子们不爱吃。
Zhège húluóbo zhǔ de tài gěn le, háizimen bù ài chī.
This carrot is cooked too tough, the children don't like to eat it.
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Word Family of 艮
Words containing this character1
艮gěnblunt
Frequently asked questions about 艮
While 艮 emphasizes toughness and chewiness, 硬 refers to hardness, making them distinct in texture descriptions.
Yes, it can be used when describing food textures or metaphorically to describe difficult situations.
It is not commonly found in idiomatic expressions but can be used creatively in descriptions.
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