unknown, 9 strokes, radical 目, rank #12623, Very Hard
盹
dǔn
nap
unknown, 9 strokes, radical 目, rank #12623, Very Hard
dǔn(dun3) T3
1to doze, to nap, to nod off
2doze
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March 24, 2026
盹dǔn(dun3)
The character 盹 (dǔn) refers to a light sleep or dozing off, often used to describe a brief nap or a momentary lapse into sleep. It is commonly used in informal contexts, particularly when someone is resting momentarily, such as during a meeting or on a bus.
Strokes9Radical目Frequency#12623DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, taking a nap during the day is often seen as a normal practice, especially in workplaces or schools. Many Chinese people value rest as an essential part of maintaining health and productivity.
Memory Tip
Imagine a sleepy owl (the radical 目 for 'eye') that dozes off during the day. The shape of 盹 resembles an eye closing slowly, hinting at the act of dozing off. You can remember 'dǔn' by imagining the sound of a gentle snore as the owl falls asleep.
Meanings of 盹
dǔn(dun3)
1to doze, to nap, to nod off
2doze
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 盹
盹Simplified
9Strokes
目Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
Podcast: 盹
Podcast: 盹
Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you
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AI Study Notes for 盹
Quick Contrast
瞌睡 (kē shuì) - use 盹 (dǔn) for a brief, casual doze; use 瞌睡 (kē shuì) for a more general term for drowsiness or the act of dozing off.
Usage Notes
Learners often confuse 盹 with 睡 (shuì), which means 'to sleep' more generally. 盹 is informal and should be used in casual conversations rather than formal writing. Common collocations include 盹一会儿 (duǐn yī huìr) meaning 'take a short nap.'
HSK Study Tips
Although 盹 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, it relates to other sleep-related words like 睡觉 (shuìjiào) and 梦 (mèng). Students should focus on recognizing the context in which this character can be used, especially in spoken Chinese.
Common Mistakes
Learners may mistakenly use 盹 in contexts where they mean to refer to a full sleep, such as saying '我昨晚盹得很好' (Wǒ zuó wǎn dǔn de hěn hǎo), which should be '我昨晚睡得很好' (Wǒ zuó wǎn shuì de hěn hǎo) meaning 'I slept well last night.'
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 盹
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Phonosemantic compound. 目 represents the meaning and 屯 represents the sound.
1The meaning half目 carries the sense.
2The sound half屯 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawayeye
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 盹? 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 盹?
Decomposition of 盹
IDS Structure⿰目屯
盹Full Character
=
目mu4
left
屯tun2
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 盹?
How to say to doze, to nap, to nod off in Chinese
“to doze, to nap, to nod off” in Chinese is盹dǔn
The character 盹 (dǔn) refers to a light sleep or dozing off, often used to describe a brief nap or a momentary lapse into sleep. It is commonly used in informal contexts, particularly when someone is resting momentarily, such as during a meeting or on a bus.
When to use 盹
Learners often confuse 盹 with 睡 (shuì), which means 'to sleep' more generally. 盹 is informal and should be used in casual conversations rather than formal writing. Common collocations include 盹一会儿 (duǐn yī huìr) meaning 'take a short nap.'
盹 or something close to it
瞌睡 (kē shuì) - use 盹 (dǔn) for a brief, casual doze; use 瞌睡 (kē shuì) for a more general term for drowsiness or the act of dozing off.
What learners get wrong
Learners may mistakenly use 盹 in contexts where they mean to refer to a full sleep, such as saying '我昨晚盹得很好' (Wǒ zuó wǎn dǔn de hěn hǎo), which should be '我昨晚睡得很好' (Wǒ zuó wǎn shuì de hěn hǎo) meaning 'I slept well last night.'
Write 盹
盹
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Practice writing 盹 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 盹
盹 carries 3 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.
Exercise 1 of 5
Complete the Sentence
基根决定打个____儿，这在他来说可是比较少见的。
Uncharacteristically for Keegan, he decided to have a snooze.
