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誕 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
誕dànto give birth, to bear children; birth, birthdayx, 13 strokes, radical 言
dàn(dan4) T4
  1. 1to give birth, to bear children; birth, birthday
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March 24, 2026

誕dàn(dan4)

The character 誕 (dàn) primarily means 'to give birth' or 'to bear children.' It is commonly used in contexts related to birth, such as birthdays and the act of giving birth, and carries a sense of new beginnings and celebrations associated with life events.

Strokes13Radical言
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, birthdays are often celebrated with family gatherings and special meals, reflecting the importance of family and the joy of life. The concept of birth is also deeply tied to various traditions and customs, particularly regarding auspicious dates.

Memory Tip

Imagine a joyful scene where a mother is celebrating the birth of her child, with the character 誕 resembling a mother (女) giving birth (子). The 'd' sound in 'dàn' can be linked to 'day,' as in the 'day of birth'—a birthday.

Meanings of 誕

dàn(dan4)
1to give birth, to bear children; birth, birthday
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 誕

誕Simplified
13Strokes
言Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 誕

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Podcast: 誕

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AI Study Notes for 誕

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 誕 with other similar-sounding words like 但 (dàn), which means 'but.' 誕 is more formal and is often used in celebratory contexts like '生日快乐' (Happy Birthday) or in literary texts. Ensure proper pronunciation, focusing on the falling tone.

HSK Study Tips

Although 誕 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, it connects with HSK Level 3 words related to life events, such as 生日 (shēngrì, birthday). Focus on the context of celebrations and the emotional aspects of birth when learning this character.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 誕 (dàn) with 但 (dàn), leading to miscommunication. For example, saying '我誕很高兴' (Wǒ dàn hěn gāoxìng) instead of '我很高兴' (Wǒ hěn gāoxìng) which means 'I am very happy' is incorrect.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 誕

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Etymology of 誕

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

Phonosemantic compound. 讠 represents the meaning and 延 represents the sound. Simplified form of 誕.

Memory Hint

speech

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 誕

Phonosemantic compound. 讠 represents the meaning and 延 represents the sound. Simplified form of 誕.

  1. 1The meaning half言 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half延 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayspeech
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 誕? 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 誕?

Decomposition of 誕

IDS Structure⿰言延
誕Full Character
=
言yan2
left
延Yan2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 誕?

How to say to give birth, to bear children; birth, birthday in Chinese

“to give birth, to bear children; birth, birthday” in Chinese is誕dàn

The character 誕 (dàn) primarily means 'to give birth' or 'to bear children.' It is commonly used in contexts related to birth, such as birthdays and the act of giving birth, and carries a sense of new beginnings and celebrations associated with life events.

When to use 誕

Be careful not to confuse 誕 with other similar-sounding words like 但 (dàn), which means 'but.' 誕 is more formal and is often used in celebratory contexts like '生日快乐' (Happy Birthday) or in literary texts. Ensure proper pronunciation, focusing on the falling tone.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 誕 (dàn) with 但 (dàn), leading to miscommunication. For example, saying '我誕很高兴' (Wǒ dàn hěn gāoxìng) instead of '我很高兴' (Wǒ hěn gāoxìng) which means 'I am very happy' is incorrect.

Write 誕

誕

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 誕

Words Containing This Character19
圣诞Christmas聖誕
圣诞节shèngdànjiéChristmas time聖誕節
诞生dànshēngto be born誕生
圣诞老人Father Christmas聖誕老人
圣诞树Christmas tree聖誕樹
诞辰dànchénbirthday誕辰
荒诞huāngdànbeyond belief荒誕
诞dànbirth誕
怪诞freak怪誕
圣诞卡Christmas card聖誕卡
华诞(formal) birthday華誕
荒诞不经absurd荒誕不經
圣诞红poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima)聖誕紅
耶诞节Christmas (Tw)耶誕節
荒诞无稽ridiculous荒誕無稽
放诞untrammeled放誕
诞育to give birth to誕育
怪诞不经uncanny怪誕不經
放诞不羁wanton and unrestrained (idiom); dissolute放誕不羈
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 圣诞 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 誕

You can say '我生日在八月' (Wǒ shēngrì zài bā yuè) which means 'My birthday is in August.'

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