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欖 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
欖lǎnolivex, 25 strokes, radical 木
lǎn(lan3) T3
  1. 1olive
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

欖lǎn(lan3)

The character 欖 (lǎn) refers to the olive tree and its fruit. It is commonly used in contexts related to culinary uses, health benefits, and agricultural discussions. This word carries connotations of nourishment and natural health, as olives are often associated with Mediterranean diets.

Strokes25Radical木
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, olives are appreciated for their health benefits and are often featured in traditional dishes. The olive tree symbolizes peace and prosperity, reflecting its significance in both culinary and cultural practices.

Memory Tip

Imagine an olive tree with its leaves (the radical 欠) resembling a hand reaching out for nourishment. The character 欖 sounds like 'lan' which can remind you of 'land' where olives grow abundantly.

Meanings of 欖

lǎn(lan3)
1olive
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 欖

欖Simplified
25Strokes
木Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 欖

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Podcast: 欖

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 欖

Usage Notes

This term is more commonly used in written Chinese and may not be frequently encountered in everyday conversation. Be careful to use it in contexts related to food or agriculture to avoid confusion with other similar-sounding words. A common collocation is '橄榄油' (gǎn lǎn yóu), meaning olive oil.

HSK Study Tips

Although 欖 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it is related to HSK Level 3 words like '油' (yóu) for oil. Focus on recognizing its usage in culinary contexts to build connections with food-related vocabulary.

Common Mistakes

Learners may confuse 欖 (lǎn) with other similar characters like 橄 (gǎn). For instance, saying '我喜欢吃橄' instead of '我喜欢吃橄榄' is incorrect; make sure to use the complete word for clarity.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 欖

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Etymology of 欖

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

tree

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 欖

  1. 1The meaning half木 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half覽 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaytree
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 欖? 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 欖?

Decomposition of 欖

IDS Structure⿰木覽
欖Full Character
=
木Mu4
left
覽lan3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 欖?

How to say olive in Chinese

“olive” in Chinese is欖lǎn

The character 欖 (lǎn) refers to the olive tree and its fruit. It is commonly used in contexts related to culinary uses, health benefits, and agricultural discussions. This word carries connotations of nourishment and natural health, as olives are often associated with Mediterranean diets.

When to use 欖

This term is more commonly used in written Chinese and may not be frequently encountered in everyday conversation. Be careful to use it in contexts related to food or agriculture to avoid confusion with other similar-sounding words. A common collocation is '橄榄油' (gǎn lǎn yóu), meaning olive oil.

What learners get wrong

Learners may confuse 欖 (lǎn) with other similar characters like 橄 (gǎn). For instance, saying '我喜欢吃橄' instead of '我喜欢吃橄榄' is incorrect; make sure to use the complete word for clarity.

Write 欖

欖

Practice writing 欖 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 欖

Words Containing This Character9
橄榄球football played with oval-shaped ball (rugby, American football, Australian rules etc)橄欖球
橄榄olive橄欖
橄榄油olive oil橄欖油
榄lǎnolive欖
橄榄石peridot橄欖石
橄榄枝olive branch橄欖枝
橄榄岩peridotite (geology)橄欖岩
橄榄树olive tree橄欖樹
乌榄black olive (Canarium tramdenum)烏欖
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 橄榄球 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 欖

It is pronounced as 'lǎn' with a third tone.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 欖?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.