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乹 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
gānto clean; to dry upzg, 9 strokes, radical 乚, Very Hard
gān(gan1) T1
  1. 1to clean; to dry up
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

gān(gan1)

The character 乹 (gān) primarily means 'to clean' or 'to dry up.' It is often used in contexts related to tidying up or removing moisture, such as drying clothes or cleaning surfaces. This word emphasizes the action of making something free from dirt or liquid.

Strokes9RadicalFrequency#—DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, cleanliness is associated with harmony and good fortune. The practice of cleaning before significant events, such as the Lunar New Year, is common, symbolizing the removal of bad luck.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person with a broom (the radical for cleaning) sweeping away water (the visual of drying). The sound 'gān' can remind you of 'gone', as in 'gone are the stains or moisture after cleaning.'

Meanings of 乹

gān(gan1)
1to clean; to dry up
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 乹

Simplified
9Strokes
Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 乹

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AI Study Notes for 乹

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a person with a broom (the radical for cleaning) sweeping away water (the visual of drying). The sound 'gān' can remind you of 'gone', as in 'gone are the stains or moisture after cleaning.'

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 乹 with similar-sounding characters. It is typically used in informal contexts, so it's essential to pair it with appropriate verbs for clarity, such as '清洗' (qīng xǐ - to wash) or '擦' (cā - to wipe). Be careful with the tonal pronunciation to avoid misunderstandings.

HSK Study Tips

Though 乹 is not included in the HSK levels, it shares thematic connections with other cleaning-related vocabulary like 洗 (xǐ - to wash) and 干净 (gān jìng - clean). Focus on the actions related to cleanliness and drying as you expand your vocabulary.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, cleanliness is associated with harmony and good fortune. The practice of cleaning before significant events, such as the Lunar New Year, is common, symbolizing the removal of bad luck.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 乹 with 干 (gān), which also means 'dry' but has broader uses. For example, saying '我乹衣服' (Wǒ gān yīfú) is incorrect; it should be '我把衣服乹了' (Wǒ bǎ yīfú gānle) to indicate the action of drying clothes.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 乹

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Etymology of 乹

Formation TypeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Explanation

Pictograph of a shild. In simplified Chinese 干 is also used to mean "dry", while in traditional Chinese this meaning is written with a separate character 乾. In simplified Chinese 干 is also used to mean "tree trunk; do", while in traditional Chinese

Memory Hint

Heat 乚from the sun 龺; 龺 also provides the pronunciation

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 乹?

Decomposition of 乹

IDS Structure⿰龺乚
Full Character
=
gan1
left
gou1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 乹?

Write 乹

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Cultural Notes for 乹

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, cleanliness is associated with harmony and good fortune. The practice of cleaning before significant events, such as the Lunar New Year, is common, symbolizing the removal of bad luck.

Word Family of 乹

Words Containing This Character20
gàntree trunk
干部gànbùcadre幹部
干什么gànshénmewhat are you doing?幹什麼
干净gānjìngclean乾淨
干吗gànmáwhatever for?幹嗎
干嘛whatever for?幹嘛
干扰gānrǎoto disturb干擾
若干ruògānhow many?
干脆gāncuìclear-cut乾脆
干活to work幹活
干掉to get rid of幹掉
饼干bǐnggānbiscuit餅乾
干燥gānzàodull乾燥
干预gānyùto meddle干預
干杯gānbēito drink a toast乾杯
骨干gǔgànfig. backbone骨幹
干涉gānshèto interfere
干旱gānhàndrought乾旱
干细胞stem cell幹細胞
干线main line幹線
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 干 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 乹

It is not frequently used alone but is applicable in specific contexts related to cleaning or drying.