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懸 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
懸xuánto hang, to hoist, to suspend; hungx, 20 strokes, radical 心, rank #83083, Very Hard
xuán(xuan2)xuan T2
  1. 1to hang, to hoist, to suspend; hung
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March 24, 2026

懸xuán(xuan2)

The character 懸 (xuán) means 'to hang,' 'to hoist,' or 'to suspend.' It is commonly used in contexts related to hanging objects, such as decorations or signs, and can also imply a sense of being in suspense or uncertainty.

Strokes20Radical心Frequency#83083DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, hanging objects like lanterns during festivals symbolizes good luck and prosperity. The act of hanging something can be deeply tied to traditional practices, such as the Lantern Festival.

Memory tip

Imagine a large sign hanging from a tall building. The sign is 'suspended' by ropes, and to remember 'xuán,' think of the 'X' in 'suspend' as the starting point of the rope that holds the sign up high. Visualize it swaying gently in the breeze.

Meanings of 懸

xuán(xuan2)
1to hang, to hoist, to suspend; hung
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 懸

懸Simplified
20Strokes
心Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

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Podcast: 懸

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AI study notes for 懸

Quick Contrast

悬 (xuán) vs 掛 (guà) — use 懸 for a more literary or formal context, while 掛 is more common in everyday speech.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 懸 with similar characters like 玄 (xuán), which means 'mysterious.' This word is neutral in tone, but in written contexts, it often appears in more formal or literary settings. Common collocations include 懸念 (xuánniàn, 'to worry about') and 懸崖 (xuányá, 'cliff').

HSK Study Tips

While 懸 is not on the HSK list, it relates to HSK Level 4 vocabulary involving actions and states. Focus on its usage in phrases or idioms to better integrate it with your existing vocabulary.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 懸 with 玄 due to their similar pronunciation. For example, saying '我懸心' (wǒ xuán xīn) instead of '我担心' (wǒ dān xīn, 'I worry') is incorrect, as 懸 does not convey the meaning of 'to worry.'

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 懸

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Etymology of 懸

Formation typeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Memory hint

Pride 心  in one's country 縣, expressed by a flag; 縣 also provides the pronunciation

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

Origin

What kind of character is 懸?

Decomposition of 懸

IDS Structure⿱縣心
懸Full character
=
縣xian4
top
心xin1
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 懸?

How to say to hang, to hoist, to suspend; hung in Chinese

“to hang, to hoist, to suspend; hung” in Chinese is懸xuán

The character 懸 (xuán) means 'to hang,' 'to hoist,' or 'to suspend.' It is commonly used in contexts related to hanging objects, such as decorations or signs, and can also imply a sense of being in suspense or uncertainty.

When to use 懸

Be careful not to confuse 懸 with similar characters like 玄 (xuán), which means 'mysterious.' This word is neutral in tone, but in written contexts, it often appears in more formal or literary settings. Common collocations include 懸念 (xuánniàn, 'to worry about') and 懸崖 (xuányá, 'cliff').

懸 or something close to it

悬 (xuán) vs 掛 (guà) — use 懸 for a more literary or formal context, while 掛 is more common in everyday speech.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 懸 with 玄 due to their similar pronunciation. For example, saying '我懸心' (wǒ xuán xīn) instead of '我担心' (wǒ dān xīn, 'I worry') is incorrect, as 懸 does not convey the meaning of 'to worry.'

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懸

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Word Family of 懸

Words containing this character20
悬xuánto worry懸
悬崖xuányáprecipice懸崖
悬念xuánniànconcern for sb's welfare懸念
悬挂xuánguàto suspend懸掛
悬赏bounty懸賞
悬殊xuánshūwidely different懸殊
悬浮suspension懸浮
悬案unresolved question懸案
悬而未决pending a decision懸而未決
悬疑suspense懸疑
悬空to hang in the air懸空
磁悬浮maglev磁懸浮
口若悬河eloquent口若懸河
悬崖峭壁xuányáqiàobìsheer cliffs and precipitous rock faces (idiom)懸崖峭壁
悬停to hover (helicopter, computer mouse etc)懸停
悬崖勒马fig. to act in the nick of time懸崖勒馬
悬雍垂uvula (biology)懸雍垂
悬臂cantilever懸臂
悬浮物suspended matter懸浮物
倒悬lit. to hang upside down倒懸
Exercise 1 of 4

Characters with 懸

What does 悬 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 懸

It is pronounced as 'xuán' with a rising tone.

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