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攢 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
攢zǎnto save, to hoardzg, 22 strokes, radical 扌
zǎn(zan3)zan T3
  1. 1to save, to hoard
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March 24, 2026

攢zǎn(zan3)

The character 攢 (zǎn) means 'to save' or 'to hoard', typically referring to the act of accumulating resources, money, or items over time. It is often used in contexts where one collects or preserves things for future use, such as saving money for a specific purpose.

Strokes22Radical扌
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, saving money is often seen as a virtue, reflecting values of prudence and planning for the future. The concept of hoarding can also be associated with traditional practices of preparing for hard times.

Memory tip

Imagine a person hoarding coins in a jar, where the jar (represented by the radical 攵) is filled with 'zǎn' (sounds like 'zan') coins. The action of saving can be visualized as a gathering of these coins, emphasizing the importance of accumulating wealth over time.

Meanings of 攢

zǎn(zan3)
1to save, to hoard
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 攢

攢Simplified
22Strokes
扌Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 攢

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Podcast: 攢

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AI study notes for 攢

Quick Contrast

攒 (zǎn) vs 积 (jī) — use 攒 when emphasizing the act of saving or hoarding specifically, while 积 focuses more on the accumulation aspect without the connotation of saving for a purpose.

Usage Notes

Common mistakes include confusing 攢 with similar characters like 存 (cún), which means 'to store' without the connotation of hoarding. It is used in both formal and informal contexts, but be careful with the tone; the third tone can change the meaning if mispronounced.

HSK Study Tips

While 攢 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, it relates to words at the same level that deal with finance or savings, like 存钱 (cún qián - to save money). Focus on the context in which you might use it to describe financial habits.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 攢 with 存 when discussing savings. For example, saying '我会存钱' (Wǒ huì cún qián) instead of '我会攢钱' (Wǒ huì zǎn qián) misses the nuance of actively accumulating savings.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 攢

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Etymology of 攢

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

Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 赞 represents the sound. Simplified form of 攢.

Memory hint

hand

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

Origin

攢 = 扌 + 贊. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 攢

IDS Structure⿰扌贊
攢Full character
=
扌shou3
left
贊zan4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 攢?

How to say to save, to hoard in Chinese

“to save, to hoard” in Chinese is攢zǎn

The character 攢 (zǎn) means 'to save' or 'to hoard', typically referring to the act of accumulating resources, money, or items over time. It is often used in contexts where one collects or preserves things for future use, such as saving money for a specific purpose.

When to use 攢

Common mistakes include confusing 攢 with similar characters like 存 (cún), which means 'to store' without the connotation of hoarding. It is used in both formal and informal contexts, but be careful with the tone; the third tone can change the meaning if mispronounced.

攢 or something close to it

攒 (zǎn) vs 积 (jī) — use 攒 when emphasizing the act of saving or hoarding specifically, while 积 focuses more on the accumulation aspect without the connotation of saving for a purpose.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 攢 with 存 when discussing savings. For example, saying '我会存钱' (Wǒ huì cún qián) instead of '我会攢钱' (Wǒ huì zǎn qián) misses the nuance of actively accumulating savings.

Write 攢

攢

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

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Word Family of 攢

Words containing this character5
攒cuánto collect攢
积攒to accumulate積攢
攒簇to gather closely together攢簇
攒集to gather攢集
拼攒to assemble拼攢
Exercise 1 of 4

Characters with 攢

What does 攒 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 攢

You can say '我正在攢钱' (Wǒ zhèngzài zǎn qián), meaning 'I am saving money.'

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