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贍 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
贍shànrich, elegant; to support, to provide forx, 20 strokes, radical 貝
shàn(shan4)shan T4
  1. 1rich, elegant; to support, to provide for
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March 24, 2026

贍shàn(shan4)

The character 贍 (shàn) primarily means to support or provide for someone, often in a financial context. It can also connote richness or elegance, especially in terms of resources or lifestyle. Commonly used in discussions about social welfare and familial support.

Strokes20Radical貝
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, the concept of supporting family members, especially the elderly, is deeply ingrained, reflecting Confucian values. The character 贍 embodies this cultural responsibility towards family and community.

Memory tip

Imagine a wealthy person (the radical '貝' for wealth) generously sharing their riches to support others, which connects to the pronunciation 'shàn' – think of 'shining' wealth being spread to help those in need.

Meanings of 贍

shàn(shan4)
1rich, elegant; to support, to provide for
Exercise 1 of 2

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About 贍

贍Simplified
20Strokes
貝Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

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Podcast: 贍

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AI study notes for 贍

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 贍 with similar characters like 赡 (shàn), which also means to provide for but may carry a more formal tone. It's typically used in formal contexts related to social support, so avoid using it in casual conversations.

HSK Study Tips

While 贍 is not currently part of the HSK vocabulary, it can be linked to terms related to support and wealth, such as 资助 (zīzhù, to fund) or 赡养 (shànyǎng, to support someone financially). Students should focus on recognizing its usage in formal contexts.

Common Mistakes

A common mistake is confusing 贍 with 赡 (shàn), which has a similar meaning but is used in slightly different contexts. For instance, saying '我贍我的父母' is incorrect; it should be '我赡养我的父母'.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 贍

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Etymology of 贍

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

Phonosemantic compound. 贝 represents the meaning and 詹 represents the sound. Simplified form of 贍.

Memory hint

money

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

Origin

贍 = 貝 + 詹. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 贍

IDS Structure⿰貝詹
贍Full character
=
貝bei4
left
詹Zhan1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 贍?

How to say rich, elegant; to support, to provide for in Chinese

“rich, elegant; to support, to provide for” in Chinese is贍shàn

The character 贍 (shàn) primarily means to support or provide for someone, often in a financial context. It can also connote richness or elegance, especially in terms of resources or lifestyle. Commonly used in discussions about social welfare and familial support.

When to use 贍

Learners often confuse 贍 with similar characters like 赡 (shàn), which also means to provide for but may carry a more formal tone. It's typically used in formal contexts related to social support, so avoid using it in casual conversations.

What learners get wrong

A common mistake is confusing 贍 with 赡 (shàn), which has a similar meaning but is used in slightly different contexts. For instance, saying '我贍我的父母' is incorrect; it should be '我赡养我的父母'.

Write 贍

贍

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

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Word Family of 贍

Words containing this character3
赡养费alimony贍養費
赡shànto support贍
赡养shànyǎngto support贍養
Exercise 1 of 3

Words with 贍

What does 赡养费 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 贍

You can use 贍 in a sentence like '我必须贍养我的父母' (I must support my parents).

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