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March 24, 2026
诞(誕)dàn(dan4)
The character 诞 (dàn) primarily signifies 'birth' or 'birthday' and can also refer to boasting or bragging. It is commonly used in phrases related to celebrations of life, such as birthdays, and can carry connotations of growth and increase in life or status.
Strokes8Radical讠Frequency#20286DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, birthdays are often celebrated with family gatherings and special meals, making 诞 a significant character in ceremonies marking life milestones. The concept of birth is also revered, reflecting the value placed on family and continuity.
Memory Tip
Imagine a baby being born, represented by the character 诞, which has the radical for 'speech' (讠) suggesting the announcement of a birth. Visualize someone joyfully announcing their birth with a boastful tone, helping you remember both the meaning and pronunciation.
Meanings of 诞
dàn(dan4)
1birth
2birthday
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 诞
诞Simplified
誕Traditional
8Strokes
讠Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#20286Frequency Rank
Podcast: 诞
Podcast: 诞
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AI Study Notes for 诞
Quick Contrast
降 (jiàng) - use 诞 when referring specifically to birth or birthday celebrations, while 降 relates to descent or reduction.
Usage Notes
Use 诞 in formal contexts related to birthdays or life events, such as 诞辰 (dànchén) for 'birthday.' Be cautious not to confuse it with other words that imply celebration without the birth aspect, and avoid informal settings when discussing serious milestones.
HSK Study Tips
While 诞 is not included in the HSK vocabulary list, understanding it can enhance your comprehension of related words about life events. Focus on its collocations and meanings in context to deepen your knowledge of expressions about celebrations.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 诞 with 产 (chǎn), which means 'to produce' or 'to give birth' in a more clinical sense. For example, saying '我诞了一个孩子' (Wǒ dànle yīgè háizi) is incorrect; the correct phrase is '我生了一个孩子' (Wǒ shēngle yīgè háizi).
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 诞
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Phonosemantic compound. 讠 represents the meaning and 延 represents the sound. Simplified form of 誕.
1The meaning half讠 carries the sense.
2The sound half延 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawayspeech
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 诞? 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 诞?
Decomposition of 诞
IDS Structure⿰讠延
诞Full Character
=
讠yan2
left
延Yan2
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 诞?
How to say birth in Chinese
“birth” in Chinese is诞dàn
The character 诞 (dàn) primarily signifies 'birth' or 'birthday' and can also refer to boasting or bragging. It is commonly used in phrases related to celebrations of life, such as birthdays, and can carry connotations of growth and increase in life or status.
When to use 诞
Use 诞 in formal contexts related to birthdays or life events, such as 诞辰 (dànchén) for 'birthday.' Be cautious not to confuse it with other words that imply celebration without the birth aspect, and avoid informal settings when discussing serious milestones.
诞 or something close to it
降 (jiàng) - use 诞 when referring specifically to birth or birthday celebrations, while 降 relates to descent or reduction.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 诞 with 产 (chǎn), which means 'to produce' or 'to give birth' in a more clinical sense. For example, saying '我诞了一个孩子' (Wǒ dànle yīgè háizi) is incorrect; the correct phrase is '我生了一个孩子' (Wǒ shēngle yīgè háizi).
Write 诞
诞
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Practice writing 诞 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 诞
诞 carries 6 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.
