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鞔 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
鞔mánto cover; leather stretched over a drumv, 16 strokes, radical 革
mán(man2) T2
  1. 1to cover; leather stretched over a drum
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

鞔mán(man2)

The character 鞔 (mán) refers to the action of covering something, particularly in the context of stretching leather over a drum. It is commonly used in discussions about traditional musical instruments in China, where drum construction and quality are significant.

Strokes16Radical革
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, traditional music plays a vital role, and the construction of instruments like drums is considered an art form. Understanding terms like 鞔 helps learners appreciate the craftsmanship behind these instruments.

Memory Tip

Imagine a drum being wrapped tightly with a shiny layer of leather. The character 鞔 has a 'leather' component (革) at the bottom, reminding you that it's about covering something with leather, like a drum.

Meanings of 鞔

mán(man2)
1to cover; leather stretched over a drum
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 鞔

鞔Simplified
16Strokes
革Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 鞔

JasonAmy

Podcast: 鞔

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 鞔

Usage Notes

This term is primarily used in a musical context and is more technical, so it's not commonly used in everyday conversation. Be cautious with its formality; it may not be understood outside of specific contexts related to music or craftsmanship.

HSK Study Tips

While 鞔 is not an HSK level word, it connects to other words related to music and craftsmanship. Focus on how it relates to terms like 鼓 (gǔ - drum) and the craft of instrument making, which may appear in advanced studies.

Common Mistakes

Learners might confuse 鞔 with similar characters like 鞭 (biān - whip), leading to incorrect meanings. Always remember that 鞔 is specifically about covering with leather, especially in the context of drums.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 鞔

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Etymology of 鞔

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

leather

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 鞔

  1. 1The meaning half革 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half免 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayleather
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 鞔? 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 鞔?

Decomposition of 鞔

IDS Structure⿰革免
鞔Full Character
=
革ge2
left
免mian3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 鞔?

How to say to cover; leather stretched over a drum in Chinese

“to cover; leather stretched over a drum” in Chinese is鞔mán

The character 鞔 (mán) refers to the action of covering something, particularly in the context of stretching leather over a drum. It is commonly used in discussions about traditional musical instruments in China, where drum construction and quality are significant.

When to use 鞔

This term is primarily used in a musical context and is more technical, so it's not commonly used in everyday conversation. Be cautious with its formality; it may not be understood outside of specific contexts related to music or craftsmanship.

What learners get wrong

Learners might confuse 鞔 with similar characters like 鞭 (biān - whip), leading to incorrect meanings. Always remember that 鞔 is specifically about covering with leather, especially in the context of drums.

Write 鞔

鞔

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Frequently Asked Questions about 鞔

It is pronounced as 'mán', with a rising tone.

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