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茛 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
茛gènranunculusx, 9 strokes, radical 艹
gèn(gen4) T4
  1. 1ranunculus
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

茛gèn(gen4)

The character 茛 (gèn) refers to the genus of flowering plants commonly known as ranunculus. These plants are characterized by their vibrant flowers and are often found in wet, grassy areas. In Chinese culture, they can symbolize beauty and a fleeting nature, often seen in poetry.

Strokes9Radical艹
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese medicine, various plants, including ranunculus, are sometimes referenced for their medicinal properties, linking this character to cultural practices surrounding health and nature.

Memory Tip

Imagine a beautiful garden filled with colorful ranunculus flowers swaying in the breeze. The character 茛 resembles a flower with its top (艹) representing leaves or grass, while the bottom (艮) can remind you of the roots anchoring these plants to the earth, helping you remember the pronunciation 'gèn'.

Meanings of 茛

gèn(gen4)
1ranunculus
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 茛

茛Simplified
9Strokes
艹Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 茛

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Podcast: 茛

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AI Study Notes for 茛

Usage Notes

This character is rarely used in everyday conversations, primarily appearing in botanical contexts or literature. It's important to note that learners might confuse it with similar characters due to its uncommon usage. Remember to use it in the right context to avoid sounding overly formal.

HSK Study Tips

Since 茛 is not included in the HSK syllabus, focus on recognizing its form and meaning rather than memorizing it for tests. Connecting it with other botanical terms at HSK Level 3 and 4, like 花 (huā - flower) and 树 (shù - tree), can enhance vocabulary related to nature.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 茛 with other similar characters like 藏 (cáng) or 葛 (gé). For example, mistakenly using 藏 instead of 茛 when referring to plants would be incorrect; ensure to use 茛 specifically for ranunculus.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 茛

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Etymology of 茛

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

plant

Semantic (meaning)艹
+
Phonetic (sound)艮
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 茛

  1. 1The meaning half艹 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half艮 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayplant
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 茛? 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 茛?

Decomposition of 茛

IDS Structure⿱艹艮
茛Full Character
=
艹cao3
top
艮gen3
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 茛?

How to say ranunculus in Chinese

“ranunculus” in Chinese is茛gèn

The character 茛 (gèn) refers to the genus of flowering plants commonly known as ranunculus. These plants are characterized by their vibrant flowers and are often found in wet, grassy areas. In Chinese culture, they can symbolize beauty and a fleeting nature, often seen in poetry.

When to use 茛

This character is rarely used in everyday conversations, primarily appearing in botanical contexts or literature. It's important to note that learners might confuse it with similar characters due to its uncommon usage. Remember to use it in the right context to avoid sounding overly formal.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 茛 with other similar characters like 藏 (cáng) or 葛 (gé). For example, mistakenly using 藏 instead of 茛 when referring to plants would be incorrect; ensure to use 茛 specifically for ranunculus.

Write 茛

茛

Practice writing 茛 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 茛

茛 carries one core meaning. 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 1

Complete the Sentence

一般认为,前者的花瓣与毛____属植物花萼同源.

The former are considered to be homologous with the sepals of Ranunculus.

Example Sentences for 茛 (1)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
一般认为,前者的花瓣与毛茛属植物花萼同源.

yī bān rèn wéi, , qián zhě de huā bàn yǔ máo gèn shǔ zhí wù huā è tóng.

The former are considered to be homologous with the sepals of Ranunculus.

Word Family of 茛

Words Containing This Character2
茛gènranunculus
毛茛buttercup
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 茛 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 茛

No, 茛 is primarily used in botanical contexts and literature.

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