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彡 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
彡shānhair; sunlightx, 3 strokes, radical 彡
shān(shan1) T1
  1. 1hair; sunlight
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

彡shān(shan1)

The character 彡 (shān) represents hair or a form of light, often seen in the context of describing something that is fine or delicate, like strands of hair or beams of sunlight. It is commonly used in various compounds and can convey a sense of elegance or beauty associated with the things it describes.

Strokes3Radical彡
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, hair is often associated with beauty and femininity, making 彡 significant in poetic expressions and literature that celebrate these qualities. It can also symbolize vitality and the essence of life, especially in art and traditional poetry.

Memory Tip

Imagine the character 彡 as three strands of hair flowing in the wind, each representing the beauty of nature. The three strokes resemble long, flowing hair, which helps you remember both the pronunciation 'shān' and its meaning related to hair and light.

Meanings of 彡

shān(shan1)
1hair; sunlight
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 彡

彡Simplified
3Strokes
彡Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 彡

JasonAmy

Podcast: 彡

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 彡

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 彡 with similar characters that have different meanings. It's important to use this character in the right context, typically when describing delicate features or fine details. Additionally, it appears in words related to beauty or illumination.

HSK Study Tips

Although 彡 is not an HSK vocabulary word, it is useful for understanding characters related to beauty and light, which are relevant to higher levels of vocabulary. Focus on combining this character with others to form words that may come up in HSK levels 3-6, particularly those describing nature or aesthetic qualities.

Common Mistakes

Learners sometimes write 彡 incorrectly by adding extra strokes or confusing it with similar characters like 毛 (máo). Remember that 彡 has three distinct strokes, while 毛 has four.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 彡

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Etymology of 彡

Formation TypePictographic 象形
六书 ClassificationPictograph (象形字)~4% of characters
Explanation

Pictograph of strands of hair.

Memory Hint

Tufts of hair

Learn more about Pictograph (象形字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 彡

Pictograph of strands of hair.

  1. 1The giveawayTufts of hair
  2. 2On the record aspictographic — someone drew the thing itself.

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

Want the full history of 彡? 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 彡?

Decomposition of 彡

IDS Structure⿳丿丿丿
彡Full Character
=
丿pie3
top
丿pie3
middle
丿pie3
bottom
Exercise 1 of 1

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 彡?

How to say hair; sunlight in Chinese

“hair; sunlight” in Chinese is彡shān

The character 彡 (shān) represents hair or a form of light, often seen in the context of describing something that is fine or delicate, like strands of hair or beams of sunlight. It is commonly used in various compounds and can convey a sense of elegance or beauty associated with the things it describes.

When to use 彡

Learners often confuse 彡 with similar characters that have different meanings. It's important to use this character in the right context, typically when describing delicate features or fine details. Additionally, it appears in words related to beauty or illumination.

What learners get wrong

Learners sometimes write 彡 incorrectly by adding extra strokes or confusing it with similar characters like 毛 (máo). Remember that 彡 has three distinct strokes, while 毛 has four.

Write 彡

彡

Practice writing 彡 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 彡

Words Containing This Character1
彡shān"bristle" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 59)
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 彡 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 彡

彡 primarily means hair or light but can also be used metaphorically to describe fine or delicate things.

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