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阚 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
阚kànsurname Kanunknown, 14 strokes, radical 门
阚kànto glance, to peep; to growl, to roarnr, 14 strokes, radical 门
阚hǎnsurname Kanunknown, 14 strokes, radical 门
阚hǎnto glance, to peep; to growl, to roarnr, 14 strokes, radical 门
hǎn(han3)
primary
T3
  1. 1surname Kan
  2. 2to glance, to peep; to growl, to roar
Also a Chinese surname, Kan — see the Surname Dictionary
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

阚(闞)hǎn(han3)

The character 阚 (hǎn) primarily refers to the action of glancing or peeping, often with a sense of stealth or secrecy. It can also be used to describe sounds like growling or roaring, which conveys a sense of power or intimidation. Additionally, it is a surname in Chinese culture, which may appear in various contexts related to personal names or family heritage.

Strokes14Radical门
Cultural Note

The surname 阚 is relatively uncommon in China, but like many surnames, it carries historical significance and can be tied to specific family lineages or regional identities. Surnames often reflect historical occupations or geographic origins.

Memory Tip

Imagine a lion (which roars) peeking through a tall gate (阚), trying to catch a glimpse of what’s on the other side. The ‘阚’ character can be visualized as a gate (阝) with a roaring lion (the sound part ‘hǎn’) behind it, reminding you of both peeping and growling.

Meanings of 阚

hǎn(han3)
primary
1to glance, to peep; to growl, to roar
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 阚

阚Simplified
闞Traditional
14Strokes
门Radical
人名míngcíproper noun (pr.n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 阚

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Podcast: 阚

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 阚

Usage Notes

Be cautious with the usage of 阚, as it is quite rare and can sound overly dramatic in everyday conversation. It is more commonly seen in literary or formal contexts. Students should be aware of its dual meaning and apply it correctly depending on whether they are describing an action or using it as a surname.

HSK Study Tips

Although 阚 is not included in the HSK levels, it can be connected to other characters involving actions or sounds, such as 吼 (hǒu, to roar). Students at the beginner level should focus on recognizing the character's components and understanding its unique meanings.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 阚 with similar-sounding characters like 看 (kàn, to see), leading to incorrect usage. For example, saying '我阚书' (Wǒ hǎn shū) instead of '我看书' (Wǒ kàn shū, I read books) is incorrect.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 阚

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Etymology of 阚

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

gate

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 阚

  1. 1The meaning half门 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half敢 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaygate
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 阚? 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 阚?

Decomposition of 阚

IDS Structure⿵门敢
阚Full Character
=
门Men2
enclosing
敢gan3
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 阚?

How to say surname Kan in Chinese

“surname Kan” in Chinese is阚kàn

The character 阚 (hǎn) primarily refers to the action of glancing or peeping, often with a sense of stealth or secrecy. It can also be used to describe sounds like growling or roaring, which conveys a sense of power or intimidation. Additionally, it is a surname in Chinese culture, which may appear in various contexts related to personal names or family heritage.

When to use 阚

Be cautious with the usage of 阚, as it is quite rare and can sound overly dramatic in everyday conversation. It is more commonly seen in literary or formal contexts. Students should be aware of its dual meaning and apply it correctly depending on whether they are describing an action or using it as a surname.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 阚 with similar-sounding characters like 看 (kàn, to see), leading to incorrect usage. For example, saying '我阚书' (Wǒ hǎn shū) instead of '我看书' (Wǒ kàn shū, I read books) is incorrect.

Write 阚

阚

Practice writing 阚 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 阚

Words Containing This Character1
阚hǎnto glance闞
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 阚 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 阚

In everyday conversation, 阚 is not commonly used, but it can refer to peeping or glancing in a secretive manner.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 阚?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.