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摻 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
摻cànto mix, to blend, to adulteratex, 14 strokes, radical 扌
càn(can4) T4
  1. 1to mix, to blend, to adulterate
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March 24, 2026

摻càn(can4)

The character 摻 (càn) means to mix or blend substances together. It is commonly used in culinary contexts, such as mixing ingredients, but can also imply an adulteration of quality or integrity when referring to products or materials.

Strokes14Radical扌
Cultural Note

In Chinese cooking, the concept of mixing ingredients is crucial, as the balance of flavors is essential to a dish's success. The careful blending of sauces and spices reflects the cultural emphasis on harmony in food.

Memory Tip

Imagine a chef 'càn' (mixing) ingredients in a large bowl. The character has a hand radical (扌) suggesting action, and the other component suggests various elements coming together, like a colorful blend of tastes.

Meanings of 摻

càn(can4)
1to mix, to blend, to adulterate
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 摻

摻Simplified
14Strokes
扌Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 摻

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Podcast: 摻

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AI Study Notes for 摻

Quick Contrast

掺 (chān) — use 摻 (càn) for a more informal or colloquial sense of mixing, while 掺 (chān) is often used in more formal contexts.

Usage Notes

Be cautious using 摻 in formal contexts, as it can imply a negative connotation of adulteration. It is often used in everyday conversations about cooking or mixing items but should not be confused with more formal terms for blending, such as 混合 (hùnhé).

HSK Study Tips

Although 摻 is not an HSK word, it relates well to HSK Level 3 vocabulary, especially with words like 混 (hùn, to mix) and 合 (hé, to combine). Focus on differentiating between subtle meanings of mixing versus blending.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 摻 with 混 (hùn), leading to errors in context. For example, saying '我喜欢摻沙拉' (wǒ xǐhuān càn shālā) instead of '我喜欢混沙拉' (wǒ xǐhuān hùn shālā) can imply a negative meaning.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 摻

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Etymology of 摻

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

Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 参 represents the sound. Simplified form of 摻.

Memory Hint

hand

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 摻

Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 参 represents the sound. Simplified form of 摻.

  1. 1The meaning half扌 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half參 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayhand
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 摻? 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 摻?

Decomposition of 摻

IDS Structure⿰扌參
摻Full Character
=
扌shou3
left
參can1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 摻?

How to say to mix, to blend, to adulterate in Chinese

“to mix, to blend, to adulterate” in Chinese is摻càn

The character 摻 (càn) means to mix or blend substances together. It is commonly used in culinary contexts, such as mixing ingredients, but can also imply an adulteration of quality or integrity when referring to products or materials.

When to use 摻

Be cautious using 摻 in formal contexts, as it can imply a negative connotation of adulteration. It is often used in everyday conversations about cooking or mixing items but should not be confused with more formal terms for blending, such as 混合 (hùnhé).

摻 or something close to it

掺 (chān) — use 摻 (càn) for a more informal or colloquial sense of mixing, while 掺 (chān) is often used in more formal contexts.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 摻 with 混 (hùn), leading to errors in context. For example, saying '我喜欢摻沙拉' (wǒ xǐhuān càn shālā) instead of '我喜欢混沙拉' (wǒ xǐhuān hùn shālā) can imply a negative meaning.

Write 摻

摻

Practice writing 摻 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 摻

Words Containing This Character2
掺cànto mix摻
掺假to adulterate摻假
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 掺 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 摻

You might hear phrases like 摻水 (càn shuǐ), meaning to dilute with water, or 摻杂 (càn zá), meaning to mix or blend various elements.

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