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绀 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
绀gànpurple, violetg, 8 strokes, radical 纟, rank #49862, Very Hard
绀gànviolet or purpleunknown, 8 strokes, radical 纟, rank #49862, Very Hard
gàn(gan4)gan T4
  1. 1purple, violet
  2. 2violet or purple
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March 24, 2026

绀(紺)gàn(gan4)

The character 绀 (gàn) refers to a specific shade of purple or violet. It is often used in contexts related to colors, especially in art, design, and fashion, where precise color descriptions are important.

Strokes8Radical纟Frequency#49862DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In traditional Chinese culture, colors hold significant meanings, and purple is often associated with nobility and spirituality, making 绀 a color of importance in historical contexts.

Memory tip

Imagine a grand purple gown (绀) draped elegantly on a model. The gown's rich color steals the show, making 'gàn' (sounds like 'grand') a memorable way to recall this hue.

Meanings of 绀

gàn(gan4)
1purple, violet
2violet or purple
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 绀

绀Simplified
紺Traditional
8Strokes
纟Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 绀

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Podcast: 绀

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AI study notes for 绀

Quick Contrast

绀 (gàn) vs 紫 (zǐ) — use 绀 for a specific shade of purple, while 紫 refers to purple in a more general sense.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 绀 with similar terms for other colors, like 蓝 (lán, blue) or 红 (hóng, red). This character is generally used in more formal contexts, such as art critiques, rather than casual conversation.

HSK Study Tips

While 绀 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, understanding it can enhance your color vocabulary. Students at this level should focus on related color terms to expand their expressive capabilities.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 绀 with other color characters. For example, saying '我喜欢绀色' (I like gàn color) instead of '我喜欢紫色' (I like purple) is incorrect, as 绀 is a specific shade of purple rather than a general term.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 绀

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Etymology of 绀

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

silk

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

Origin

绀 = 纟 + 甘. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 绀

IDS Structure⿰纟甘
绀Full character
=
纟si1
left
甘Gan1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 绀?

How to say purple, violet in Chinese

“purple, violet” in Chinese is绀gàn

The character 绀 (gàn) refers to a specific shade of purple or violet. It is often used in contexts related to colors, especially in art, design, and fashion, where precise color descriptions are important.

When to use 绀

Be careful not to confuse 绀 with similar terms for other colors, like 蓝 (lán, blue) or 红 (hóng, red). This character is generally used in more formal contexts, such as art critiques, rather than casual conversation.

绀 or something close to it

绀 (gàn) vs 紫 (zǐ) — use 绀 for a specific shade of purple, while 紫 refers to purple in a more general sense.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 绀 with other color characters. For example, saying '我喜欢绀色' (I like gàn color) instead of '我喜欢紫色' (I like purple) is incorrect, as 绀 is a specific shade of purple rather than a general term.

Write 绀

绀

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

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Word Family of 绀

Words containing this character2
绀gànviolet or purple紺
发绀cyanosis (blue skin due to lack of oxygen in blood)發紺
Exercise 1 of 1

Words with 绀

What does 发绀 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 绀

It is pronounced as 'gàn', with a falling tone.

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