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唤 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
唤huànto callvg, 10 strokes, radical 口, rank #17336, Very Hard
huàn(huan4)huan T4
  1. 1to call
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March 24, 2026

唤(喚)huàn(huan4)

The character 唤 (huàn) means 'to call' or 'to summon.' It is commonly used in contexts where someone is calling out to another person or summoning someone for a specific purpose. The term can also imply a sense of urgency or importance in the act of calling.

Strokes10Radical口Frequency#17336DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, calling someone can be seen as a way of showing respect and importance, especially in formal settings like business meetings. For example, a manager may 'huàn' an employee to discuss important matters, emphasizing the significance of the call.

Memory tip

Imagine a person shouting to their friend across a crowded room, trying to 'huàn' (呼喊, to call out) their attention. The character 唤 consists of the mouth radical (口), which represents speaking or calling, combined with the 'ring' component (喚), suggesting the resonance of the call echoing through the space.

Meanings of 唤

huàn(huan4)
1to call
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 唤 means.

About 唤

唤Simplified
喚Traditional
10Strokes
口Radical
动语素dòngcíverb root (v.root)Part of Speech
#17336Frequency Rank

Podcast: 唤

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Podcast: 唤

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AI study notes for 唤

Quick Contrast

呼 (hū) vs 唤 (huàn): Use 呼 when emphasizing a loud or forceful call, while 唤 is more about summoning someone with a sense of urgency.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 唤 with 叫 (jiào), which also means 'to call' but is typically more casual. It's important to use 唤 in more formal situations or when the calling has a specific purpose. Additionally, watch out for the tone; 唤 has a falling tone (4th tone).

HSK Study Tips

While 唤 is not currently listed in the HSK vocabulary, it is useful for HSK 3 and 4 learners as it relates to communication. Students should focus on its usage in formal contexts and practice with collocations like 唤醒 (huànxǐng, to wake up) to expand their vocabulary.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly use 唤 in informal contexts where 叫 would be more appropriate, such as saying '我唤他' (wǒ huàn tā) instead of '我叫他' (wǒ jiào tā) for 'I will call him.' Additionally, mispronouncing the tone can lead to misunderstandings.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 唤

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Etymology of 唤

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

Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 奂 represents the sound. Simplified form of 喚.

Memory hint

mouth

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

Origin

唤 = 口 + 奂. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 唤

IDS Structure⿰口奂
唤Full character
=
口kou3
left
奂Huan4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 唤?

How to say to call in Chinese

“to call” in Chinese is唤huàn

The character 唤 (huàn) means 'to call' or 'to summon.' It is commonly used in contexts where someone is calling out to another person or summoning someone for a specific purpose. The term can also imply a sense of urgency or importance in the act of calling.

When to use 唤

Learners often confuse 唤 with 叫 (jiào), which also means 'to call' but is typically more casual. It's important to use 唤 in more formal situations or when the calling has a specific purpose. Additionally, watch out for the tone; 唤 has a falling tone (4th tone).

唤 or something close to it

呼 (hū) vs 唤 (huàn): Use 呼 when emphasizing a loud or forceful call, while 唤 is more about summoning someone with a sense of urgency.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mistakenly use 唤 in informal contexts where 叫 would be more appropriate, such as saying '我唤他' (wǒ huàn tā) instead of '我叫他' (wǒ jiào tā) for 'I will call him.' Additionally, mispronouncing the tone can lead to misunderstandings.

Write 唤

唤

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

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Grammar patterns of 唤

唤 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

小女孩等了两个小时才被传____进去作证。

The child waited two hours before she was called to give evidence.

Example sentences for 唤 (10)

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1
小女孩等了两个小时才被传唤进去作证。

xiǎo nǚ hái děng le liǎng gè xiǎoshí cái bèi chuán huàn jìnqù zuō zhèng。

The child waited two hours before she was called to give evidence.
2
又有两个经理因偷税漏税指控被传唤到沃辛治安法庭。

yòu yǒu liǎng gè jīnglǐ yīn tōu shuì lòushuì zhǐkòng bèi chuán huàn dào wò Xīn zhì’ān fǎtíng。

Two other executives appeared at Worthing Magistrates' Court charged with tax fraud.
3
又有两个目击者被传唤,提供证言后获准退席。

yòu yǒu liǎng gè mù jī zhě bèi chuán huàn, tígōng zhèng yán hòu huò zhǔn tuì xí。

Two more witnesses were called, heard and dismissed.
4
从远处看,它高耸的大楼召唤着拜访者进去。

cóng yuǎnchù kàn, tā gāo sǒng de dàlóu shào huàn zhe bàifǎng zhě jìnqù。

Seen from afar, its towering buildings beckon the visitor in.
5
你只要通过唤起人们对某事的注意就能起到宣传的作用。

nǐ zhǐyào tōngguò huànqǐ rénmen duì mǒu shì de zhùyì jiù néng qǐdào xuānchuán de zuòyòng。

You can propagandize just by calling attention to something.
6
她想尖叫,但她的声带好像不听使唤了。

tā xiǎng jiān jiào, dàn tā de shēng dài hǎoxiàng bù tīng shǐhuan le。

She wanted to scream, but her vocal cords seemed paralysed.
7
像我这把年纪的人,老腿确实不听使唤了。

xiàng wǒ zhè bǎ niánjì de rén, lǎo tuǐ quèshí bù tīng shǐhuan le。

My kick wasn't half a bad effort for an old man.
8
不知怎么的,我老想把这条狗唤作穆夫提。

bùzhī zěnme de, wǒ lǎo xiǎng bǎ zhè tiáo gǒu huàn zuō mù fū tí。

I always wanted to call the dog Mufty for some reason.
9
她的旧车老不听使唤,一路上总是出故障。

tā de jiù chē lǎo bù tīng shǐhuan, yīlùshàng zǒngshì chū gùzhàng。

Her old car was unreliable, so the trip was plagued by breakdowns.
10
本·布兰特利的那篇关于伊恩·麦凯伦爵士的文章唤起了许多记忆。

běn· bù lán tè lì de nà piān guānyú yī ēn· mài kǎi lún juéshì de wénzhāng huànqǐ le xǔduō jìyì。

Ben Brantley's article on Sir Ian McKellen rekindled many memories.

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Word Family of 唤

Words containing this character11
召唤zhàohuànto summon召喚
唤醒huànxǐngto wake sb喚醒
呼唤hūhuànto shout呼喚
唤huànto call喚
传唤chuánhuànsubpoena傳喚
唤起huànqǐto waken (to action)喚起
使唤shǐhuanto use sb使喚
叫唤jiàohuanto cry out叫喚
呼风唤雨hūfēnghuànyǔfig. to stir up troubles呼風喚雨
招唤zhāohuànto call招喚
唤雨呼风huànyǔhūfēngto exercise magical powers喚雨呼風
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 唤

What does 召唤 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 唤

唤 is used in more formal or specific contexts, while 叫 is more casual.

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