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斕 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
斕lánmulticoloredx, 21 strokes, radical 文
lán(lan2) T2
  1. 1multicolored
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

斕lán(lan2)

The character 斕 (lán) means 'multicolored' or 'variegated.' It is commonly used to describe objects or materials that exhibit a variety of colors, often in a beautiful or pleasing way. This term is frequently found in artistic contexts, such as describing fabrics or natural phenomena.

Strokes21Radical文
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, multicolored items are often associated with good fortune and beauty, particularly in traditional clothing and decorations during festivals. The use of vibrant colors is significant in art and design.

Memory Tip

Imagine a rainbow (representing 'multicolored') shining through a stained glass window. The character 斕 has the radical for 'wood' (木) on the left, suggesting the beauty of nature and its colors, while the right side hints at patterns. Visualize a colorful garden to remember 'lán' and its meaning.

Meanings of 斕

lán(lan2)
1multicolored
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 斕

斕Simplified
21Strokes
文Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 斕

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Podcast: 斕

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AI Study Notes for 斕

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 斕 with similar characters related to color, such as 彩 (cǎi), which means 'color' or 'variety.' It is more commonly used in literary or artistic contexts, so be mindful of using it appropriately. Make sure to pronounce it correctly with the second tone.

HSK Study Tips

While 斕 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, understanding it can enhance your grasp of color-related terms. Focus on related words like 彩 (cǎi) and 色 (sè) to build a broader vocabulary around colors and descriptions.

Common Mistakes

Learners might mistakenly use 斕 when describing something that is simply colorful rather than multicolored, for example, saying '这件衣服是斕的' instead of '这件衣服是彩色的' (This clothing is colorful). Remember that 斕 implies a mix of colors rather than just one vibrant color.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 斕

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Etymology of 斕

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

Phonosemantic compound. 文 represents the meaning and 阑 represents the sound. Simplified form of 斕.

Memory Hint

script

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 斕

Phonosemantic compound. 文 represents the meaning and 阑 represents the sound. Simplified form of 斕.

  1. 1The meaning half文 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half闌 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayscript
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 斕? 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 斕?

Decomposition of 斕

IDS Structure⿰文闌
斕Full Character
=
文Wen2
left
闌lan2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 斕?

How to say multicolored in Chinese

“multicolored” in Chinese is斕lán

The character 斕 (lán) means 'multicolored' or 'variegated.' It is commonly used to describe objects or materials that exhibit a variety of colors, often in a beautiful or pleasing way. This term is frequently found in artistic contexts, such as describing fabrics or natural phenomena.

When to use 斕

Learners often confuse 斕 with similar characters related to color, such as 彩 (cǎi), which means 'color' or 'variety.' It is more commonly used in literary or artistic contexts, so be mindful of using it appropriately. Make sure to pronounce it correctly with the second tone.

What learners get wrong

Learners might mistakenly use 斕 when describing something that is simply colorful rather than multicolored, for example, saying '这件衣服是斕的' instead of '这件衣服是彩色的' (This clothing is colorful). Remember that 斕 implies a mix of colors rather than just one vibrant color.

Write 斕

斕

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

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Word Family of 斕

Words Containing This Character2
斓lángorgeous斕
斑斓gorgeous斑斕
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 斓 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 斕

You can say '这件衣服很斕' (zhè jiàn yīfú hěn lán), meaning 'This clothing is very multicolored.'

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