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袒 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
袒tǎnto strip, to barev, 10 strokes, radical 衤, rank #37112, Very Hard
tǎn(tan3)tan T3
  1. 1to strip, to bare
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March 24, 2026

袒tǎn(tan3)

The character 袒 (tǎn) means 'to strip' or 'to bare,' commonly used in contexts where someone removes clothing or exposes part of the body. It can also carry metaphorical meanings, such as revealing one's thoughts or emotions. This term suggests a sense of openness or vulnerability.

Strokes10Radical衤Frequency#37112DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, 袒 can also relate to the concept of being open and honest, reflecting a value placed on transparency in personal relationships. It may be used in discussions about sincerity and the importance of showing one's true self.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person named 'Tan' who likes to take off his shirt to show off his muscles. The character 袒 looks like a shirt being pulled off, with the top part resembling a 'T' that stands for 'Tan.' This visual connection helps remember both the form of the character and its pronunciation.

Meanings of 袒

tǎn(tan3)
1to strip, to bare
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 袒 means.

About 袒

袒Simplified
10Strokes
衤Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 袒

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Podcast: 袒

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AI Study Notes for 袒

Quick Contrast

袒 (tǎn) vs 裸 (luǒ) — use 袒 when emphasizing the act of stripping or exposing, while 裸 focuses more on the state of being naked.

Usage Notes

While 袒 is often used in literary or formal contexts, it can sound overly dramatic in casual conversation. Be cautious not to confuse it with similar-sounding words that relate to covering or hiding. Common collocations include 袒露 (tǎnlù), meaning 'to reveal' or 'to expose.'

HSK Study Tips

Although 袒 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, understanding it can enhance your comprehension of more complex texts related to emotions and self-expression. Focus on recognizing its usage in literature and poetry, as it often appears in metaphorical contexts.

Common Mistakes

Learners sometimes confuse 袒 with the similar-sounding 盖 (gài), which means 'to cover.' For example, saying '我想袒这个' (wǒ xiǎng tǎn zhège) when you mean 'I want to cover this' is incorrect; it should be '我想盖这个.'

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 袒

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Etymology of 袒

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

Phonosemantic compound. 衤 represents the meaning and 旦 represents the sound. Simplified form of 襢.

Memory Hint

clothes

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

Origin

袒 = 衤 + 旦. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 袒

IDS Structure⿰衤旦
袒Full Character
=
衤yi1
left
旦dan4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 袒?

How to say to strip, to bare in Chinese

“to strip, to bare” in Chinese is袒tǎn

The character 袒 (tǎn) means 'to strip' or 'to bare,' commonly used in contexts where someone removes clothing or exposes part of the body. It can also carry metaphorical meanings, such as revealing one's thoughts or emotions. This term suggests a sense of openness or vulnerability.

When to use 袒

While 袒 is often used in literary or formal contexts, it can sound overly dramatic in casual conversation. Be cautious not to confuse it with similar-sounding words that relate to covering or hiding. Common collocations include 袒露 (tǎnlù), meaning 'to reveal' or 'to expose.'

袒 or something close to it

袒 (tǎn) vs 裸 (luǒ) — use 袒 when emphasizing the act of stripping or exposing, while 裸 focuses more on the state of being naked.

What learners get wrong

Learners sometimes confuse 袒 with the similar-sounding 盖 (gài), which means 'to cover.' For example, saying '我想袒这个' (wǒ xiǎng tǎn zhège) when you mean 'I want to cover this' is incorrect; it should be '我想盖这个.'

Write 袒

袒

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

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Grammar Patterns of 袒

袒 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 1

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

塔夫脱抱怨法律如此偏____罪犯,审判看来像是一场碰运气的游戏。

Taft grumbled that the law so favored the criminal that trials seemed like a game of chance.

Example Sentences for 袒 (1)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
塔夫脱抱怨法律如此偏袒罪犯,审判看来像是一场碰运气的游戏。

tǎ fū tuō bào yuàn fǎ lǜ rú cǐ piān tǎn zuì fàn, , shěn pàn kàn lái xiàng shì yī cháng pèng yùn qì de yóu。

Taft grumbled that the law so favored the criminal that trials seemed like a game of chance.

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Word Family of 袒

Words Containing This Character4
袒护to take sb's side袒護
偏袒to bare one shoulder
袒tǎnto bare
袒露to expose
Exercise 1 of 3

Words with 袒

What does 袒护 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 袒

No, 袒 is more commonly found in literary contexts rather than everyday speech.

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