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莰 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
莰kǎncamphaneg, 10 strokes, radical 艹, rank #91764, Very Hard
莰kǎncamphane C10H18unknown, 10 strokes, radical 艹, rank #91764, Very Hard
kǎn(kan3) T3
  1. 1camphane
  2. 2camphane C10H18
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

莰kǎn(kan3)

The character 莰 (kǎn) refers to camphane, a bicyclic monoterpene found in the essential oil of camphor trees. Commonly used in organic chemistry, it is not frequently encountered in everyday conversation, making it more relevant for specialized contexts such as botany or pharmacology.

Strokes10Radical艹Frequency#91764DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese traditional medicine, substances derived from plants, including camphor, are often utilized for their therapeutic properties, reflecting the deep-rooted connection between natural ingredients and health in Chinese culture.

Memory Tip

Imagine a 'can' (sounds like 'kǎn') full of fragrant camphor, symbolizing the essence of the camphane compound. The character 莰 has a plant radical (艹) at the top, indicating its botanical connection, while the bottom part suggests a structure that could represent the molecular form.

Meanings of 莰

kǎn(kan3)
1camphane
2camphane C10H18
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 莰

莰Simplified
10Strokes
艹Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 莰

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Podcast: 莰

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AI Study Notes for 莰

Usage Notes

Since 莰 is a technical term, it is generally used in formal scientific contexts. Be careful not to confuse it with similar-sounding words or characters in casual conversation, as it is not commonly used in everyday language.

HSK Study Tips

Although this character is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, understanding it can enhance your knowledge of specialized terminology in organic chemistry. Focus on related terms in the field to build a broader vocabulary.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 莰 with other characters that have similar sounds or components. For example, mistakenly using it to refer to common plants instead of its specific chemical meaning would be incorrect.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 莰

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Etymology of 莰

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Semantic (meaning)艹
+
Phonetic (sound)坎
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 莰

  1. 1The meaning half艹 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half坎 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 莰? 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 莰?

Decomposition of 莰

IDS Structure⿱艹坎
莰Full Character
=
艹cao3
top
坎kan3
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 莰?

How to say camphane in Chinese

“camphane” in Chinese is莰kǎn

The character 莰 (kǎn) refers to camphane, a bicyclic monoterpene found in the essential oil of camphor trees. Commonly used in organic chemistry, it is not frequently encountered in everyday conversation, making it more relevant for specialized contexts such as botany or pharmacology.

When to use 莰

Since 莰 is a technical term, it is generally used in formal scientific contexts. Be careful not to confuse it with similar-sounding words or characters in casual conversation, as it is not commonly used in everyday language.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 莰 with other characters that have similar sounds or components. For example, mistakenly using it to refer to common plants instead of its specific chemical meaning would be incorrect.

Write 莰

莰

Practice writing 莰 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 莰

Words Containing This Character2
莰kǎncamphane C10H18
莰烯camphene C10H16
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 莰 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 莰

It refers to camphane, a compound often discussed in organic chemistry.

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