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羼 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
羼chànto confuse, to mix; to interpolateg, 21 strokes, radical 羊
羼chànto blendunknown, 21 strokes, radical 羊
羼chànto diluteunknown, 21 strokes, radical 羊
羼chànto adulterateunknown, 21 strokes, radical 羊
chàn(chan4) T4
  1. 1to confuse, to mix; to interpolate
  2. 2to blend
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

羼chàn(chan4)

The character 羼 (chàn) primarily means to mix or blend substances, often implying a dilution or adulteration of a pure item. It can be used in various contexts such as cooking, chemistry, or metaphorically, to describe ideas or cultures being mixed together, leading to a loss of purity in the original form.

Strokes21Radical羊
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese medicine, the concept of mixing herbs is crucial, and the purity of ingredients is highly valued. The term 羼 reflects the importance of maintaining qualities in mixtures, as adulteration can lead to ineffective remedies.

Memory Tip

Imagine a chef (the radical 羊, meaning sheep, symbolizing food) pouring water into a fine wine, diluting its quality. The shape of 羼 can remind you of the blending process, where elements are confused and intermixed, much like the sound 'chàn' which can resemble 'churn' in English.

Meanings of 羼

chàn(chan4)
1to confuse, to mix; to interpolate
2to blend
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 羼

羼Simplified
21Strokes
羊Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 羼

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Podcast: 羼

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AI Study Notes for 羼

Usage Notes

This character is often used in more formal or technical discussions about mixtures, and learners should be cautious with its connotation of dilution, which can have negative implications. Common collocations include 羼水 (to mix with water) and 羼杂 (to mix and become impure).

HSK Study Tips

While 羼 is not included in HSK vocabulary lists, understanding it can enhance your grasp of more complex characters related to mixing and blending. Focus on recognizing its components and how it relates to other characters with similar meanings, such as 混 (hùn) for mixing.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 羼 with 混 (hùn), which means to mix without the connotation of dilution. For example, saying '我羼了水' (I mixed water) when you mean to say '我混了水' (I mixed water) could imply an unintended decrease in quality.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 羼

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Etymology of 羼

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

body

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 羼

  1. 1The meaning half尸 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half羴 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaybody
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 羼? 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 羼?

Decomposition of 羼

IDS Structure⿸尸羴
羼Full Character
=
尸shi1
enclosing
羴shan1
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 羼?

How to say to confuse, to mix; to interpolate in Chinese

“to confuse, to mix; to interpolate” in Chinese is羼chàn

The character 羼 (chàn) primarily means to mix or blend substances, often implying a dilution or adulteration of a pure item. It can be used in various contexts such as cooking, chemistry, or metaphorically, to describe ideas or cultures being mixed together, leading to a loss of purity in the original form.

When to use 羼

This character is often used in more formal or technical discussions about mixtures, and learners should be cautious with its connotation of dilution, which can have negative implications. Common collocations include 羼水 (to mix with water) and 羼杂 (to mix and become impure).

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 羼 with 混 (hùn), which means to mix without the connotation of dilution. For example, saying '我羼了水' (I mixed water) when you mean to say '我混了水' (I mixed water) could imply an unintended decrease in quality.

Write 羼

羼

Practice writing 羼 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 羼

Words Containing This Character2
羼chànto mix
羼杂to mix羼雜
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 羼 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 羼

The primary meaning of 羼 is to mix or blend substances, often implying a dilution.

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