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倌 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
倌guānassistant, hired handg, 10 strokes, radical 亻, rank #82197, Very Hard
倌guānkeeper of domestic animalsunknown, 10 strokes, radical 亻, rank #82197, Very Hard
倌guānherdsmanunknown, 10 strokes, radical 亻, rank #82197, Very Hard
倌guān(old) hired hand in certain tradeunknown, 10 strokes, radical 亻, rank #82197, Very Hard
guān(guan1) T1
  1. 1assistant, hired hand
  2. 2keeper of domestic animals
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

倌guān(guan1)

The character 倌 (guān) refers to an assistant or hired hand, particularly in the context of someone who takes care of domestic animals or works in a trade. It is an older term that may not be commonly used in modern contexts, making it more relevant in historical or literary discussions about labor and domestic roles.

Strokes10Radical亻Frequency#82197DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In ancient Chinese society, the concept of a 倌 was crucial in agricultural communities where hired hands were essential for farming and animal husbandry. This reflects the traditional importance of labor and community support in rural life.

Memory Tip

Imagine a 'guardian' (sounds like 'guān') who is responsible for taking care of animals. The character 倌 is made up of the radical 亻 (person), indicating it's related to a person, and the component 官 (official), suggesting a position of responsibility, like a shepherd or herdsman.

Meanings of 倌

guān(guan1)
1assistant, hired hand
2keeper of domestic animals
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 倌

倌Simplified
10Strokes
亻Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 倌

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Podcast: 倌

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AI Study Notes for 倌

Usage Notes

While 倌 can refer to a hired hand, it may come across as somewhat archaic or formal in modern usage. It’s important to use this term in contexts that evoke historical or literary themes rather than everyday conversation. Be cautious with tone; use the third tone (guān) correctly to avoid confusion.

HSK Study Tips

This character is not part of the HSK vocabulary lists but connects to the topic of occupations and roles in society, which are often covered in intermediate levels. Students should focus on recognizing the character in literary texts and understanding its historical significance.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 倌 with similar-sounding characters like 关 (guān), which means 'to close' or 'to concern.' Ensure you remember the context of animals or hired hands when using 倌.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 倌

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Etymology of 倌

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

person

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 倌

  1. 1The meaning half亻 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half官 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayperson
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 倌? 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 倌?

Decomposition of 倌

IDS Structure⿰亻官
倌Full Character
=
亻ren2
left
官Guan1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 倌?

How to say assistant, hired hand in Chinese

“assistant, hired hand” in Chinese is倌guān

The character 倌 (guān) refers to an assistant or hired hand, particularly in the context of someone who takes care of domestic animals or works in a trade. It is an older term that may not be commonly used in modern contexts, making it more relevant in historical or literary discussions about labor and domestic roles.

When to use 倌

While 倌 can refer to a hired hand, it may come across as somewhat archaic or formal in modern usage. It’s important to use this term in contexts that evoke historical or literary themes rather than everyday conversation. Be cautious with tone; use the third tone (guān) correctly to avoid confusion.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 倌 with similar-sounding characters like 关 (guān), which means 'to close' or 'to concern.' Ensure you remember the context of animals or hired hands when using 倌.

Write 倌

倌

Practice writing 倌 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 倌

Words Containing This Character3
倌guānherdsman
堂倌(old) waiter
猪倌swineherd豬倌
Exercise 1 of 3

Compound Meaning

What does 倌 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 倌

No, 倌 is considered somewhat archaic and is mostly found in literary or historical texts.

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Not sure what to learn after 倌?

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