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讪 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
shànto abuse, to slander, to vilify; to ridiculev, 5 strokes, radical 讠, Very Hard
shànto mockunknown, 5 strokes, radical 讠, Very Hard
shàn(shan4) T4
  1. 1to abuse, to slander, to vilify; to ridicule
  2. 2to mock
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March 24, 2026
(訕)shàn(shan4)

The character 讪 (shàn) primarily means to slander or vilify someone, often through mockery or ridicule. It is commonly used in contexts where someone is subjected to derogatory remarks or insults, reflecting a negative connotation of speech that harms reputation.

Strokes5RadicalFrequency#—DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, public reputation is highly valued, and slander can lead to serious social consequences. The concept of 'losing face' is closely tied to being slandered or mocked, making 讪 particularly relevant in discussions about social behavior.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person (讠) shouting (讪) slanderous words at someone, causing a scene. The character’s left side resembles a mouth (言), and the right side can be seen as a person standing in shame, highlighting the act of speaking harmfully and the consequences it brings.

Meanings of 讪

shàn(shan4)
1to abuse, to slander, to vilify; to ridicule
2to mock
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 讪

Simplified
Traditional
5Strokes
Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 讪

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AI Study Notes for 讪

Quick Contrast

讽 (fěng) - choose 讪 when the focus is on slanderous mockery, whereas 讽 emphasizes sarcastic or ironic criticism.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a person (讠) shouting (讪) slanderous words at someone, causing a scene. The character’s left side resembles a mouth (言), and the right side can be seen as a person standing in shame, highlighting the act of speaking harmfully and the consequences it brings.

Usage Notes

Be cautious with the tone when using 讪, as it has a negative implication. It is more commonly used in formal contexts such as news articles or discussions about defamation rather than casual conversation. Pair it with words like '言论' (yánlùn, speech) to specify the type of ridicule.

HSK Study Tips

Although 讪 is not in the HSK list, it connects with other characters related to speech and communication. Focus on understanding how it relates to concepts of gossip or harmful speech, which can enhance vocabulary in social contexts.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, public reputation is highly valued, and slander can lead to serious social consequences. The concept of 'losing face' is closely tied to being slandered or mocked, making 讪 particularly relevant in discussions about social behavior.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 讪 with other characters like 侮 (wǔ, to insult) or 嘲 (cháo, to ridicule), leading to incorrect usage. For example, saying '他侮我' (tā wǔ wǒ) instead of '他讪我' (tā shàn wǒ) changes the meaning significantly.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 讪

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Etymology of 讪

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

Phonosemantic compound. 讠 represents the meaning and 山 represents the sound. Simplified form of 訕.

Memory Hint

speech

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

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 讪?

Decomposition of 讪

IDS Structure⿰讠山
Full Character
=
yan2
left
Shan1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 讪?

Write 讪

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

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Grammar Patterns of 讪

讪 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. It carries 2 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 3

Complete the Sentence

他咧嘴____笑,并朝她鞠了一躬。

He grinned sardonically and bowed towards her.

Example Sentences for 讪 (2)

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1
他咧嘴讪笑,并朝她鞠了一躬。

tā liě zuǐ shàn xiào, , bìng zhāo tā jū le yī。

He grinned sardonically and bowed towards her.
2
他讪讪地住了嘴,但方寸已乱, 因为自己笨嘴拙舌很感到难为情.

tā shàn shàn dì zhù le zuǐ, , dàn fāng cùn yǐ, luàn , yīn wéi zì jǐ bèn zuǐ zhuō shé hěn gǎn dào nán.

He broke off lamely. He was confused, painfully conscious of his inarticulateness.

Cultural Notes for 讪

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, public reputation is highly valued, and slander can lead to serious social consequences. The concept of 'losing face' is closely tied to being slandered or mocked, making 讪 particularly relevant in discussions about social behavior.

Word Family of 讪

Words Containing This Character5
搭讪to hit on someone搭訕
讪讪embarrassed訕訕
讪笑to ridicule訕笑
shànto mock
答讪to hit on someone答訕
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 搭讪 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 讪

You could say '他在背后讪我' (tā zài bèihòu shàn wǒ) which means 'He slanders me behind my back.'