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藤 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
藤téngivy, creepernr, 18 strokes, radical 艹, rank #10403, Hard
藤téngcaneunknown, 18 strokes, radical 艹, rank #10403, Hard
藤téngvineunknown, 18 strokes, radical 艹, rank #10403, Hard
téng(teng2) T2
  1. 1ivy, creeper
  2. 2cane
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
藤(籐)téng(teng2)

The character 藤 (téng) refers to a type of climbing plant, such as ivy or vines, that grows by wrapping around supports. It is commonly used in gardening and botany contexts. Additionally, it can denote materials made from such plants, like cane or rattan, used in crafts and furniture.

Strokes18Radical艹Frequency#10403DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, rattan (藤) has been used for centuries to create furniture and handicrafts, reflecting the importance of natural materials in daily life. The flexibility and strength of these vines symbolize resilience and adaptability.

Memory Tip

Imagine a strong vine (藤) that climbs up a wall, wrapping around it tightly. The sound 'téng' resembles the action of 'tangling' as these vines intertwine with each other. Visualizing a lush green creeper can help you remember both the meaning and pronunciation.

Meanings of 藤

téng(teng2)
1ivy, creeper
2cane
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 藤

藤Simplified
籐Traditional
18Strokes
艹Radical
人名míngcíproper noun (pr.n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 藤

JasonAmy

Podcast: 藤

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 藤

Quick Contrast

藤 (téng) vs 爬藤 (pá téng) — 藤 refers to the plant itself, while 爬藤 specifically emphasizes the climbing action or behavior of the plant.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a strong vine (藤) that climbs up a wall, wrapping around it tightly. The sound 'téng' resembles the action of 'tangling' as these vines intertwine with each other. Visualizing a lush green creeper can help you remember both the meaning and pronunciation.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 藤 with similar-sounding characters that have different meanings. This word is typically used in more formal contexts when discussing plants. Common collocations include 藤蔓 (téngmàn) for 'creeping vine' and 藤椅 (téngyǐ) for 'rattan chair'.

HSK Study Tips

While 藤 is not an HSK vocabulary word, it connects to the HSK Level 3 theme of nature and plants. Students should focus on identifying it in texts about flora and practicing its pronunciation. Understanding related terms like vine (藤蔓) will enhance vocabulary.

Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, rattan (藤) has been used for centuries to create furniture and handicrafts, reflecting the importance of natural materials in daily life. The flexibility and strength of these vines symbolize resilience and adaptability.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 藤 with its alternative pronunciation teng2, which is less common in modern usage. Additionally, it may be mistakenly used in contexts unrelated to plants, such as in discussions of trees or shrubs.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 藤

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Etymology of 藤

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

plant

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

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 藤?

Decomposition of 藤

IDS Structure⿱艹滕
藤Full Character
=
艹cao3
top
滕Teng2
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 藤?

Write 藤

藤

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

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Grammar Patterns of 藤

藤 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 3 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

这张图片中的铁艺____椅要价125英镑。

The rattan and wrought-iron chair pictured here costs £

Example Sentences for 藤 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
这张图片中的铁艺藤椅要价125英镑。

zhè zhāng tú piàn zhōng de tiě yì téng yǐ yào jià125 125 yīng。

The rattan and wrought-iron chair pictured here costs £
2
这个球是由一种天然纤维——省藤制成的。

zhè gè qiú shì yóu yī zhǒng tiān rán xiān wéi—— —— shěng téng zhì chéng。

The ball is made of rattan — a natural fibre.
3
比蒂在被伊藤赶超之前，曾有几圈一直处于领先。

bǐ dì zài bèi yī téng gǎn chāo zhī qián， ， zēng yǒu jī quān yī zhí chǔ yú lǐng。

Beattie led for several laps before he was overhauled by Itoh.
4
我要设法让这条藤蔓顺着院子的东墙生长.

wǒ yào shè fǎ ràng zhè tiáo téng màn shùn zháo yuàn zǐ de dōng qiáng shēng cháng.

I'm going to try to train the vine along the east wall of the garden.
5
最基本的是，葡萄藤和葡萄需要水、热和光。

zuì jī běn de shì， ， pú táo téng hé pú táo xū yào、 shuǐ 、 rè。

Essentially, vines and grapes need water, heat and light.
6
他们已被迫将葡萄藤连根拔除，改种小麦。

tā mén yǐ bèi pò jiāng pú táo téng lián gēn bá chú， ， gǎi zhǒng xiǎo。

They had been forced to uproot their vines and plant wheat.
7
大楼的正面爬满了常春藤。

dà lóu de zhèng miàn pá mǎn le cháng chūn téng。

The front of the building was covered with ivy.
8
他们在那儿看着窗外的常春藤蔓.

tā mén zài nà ér kàn zháo chuāng wài de cháng chūn téng màn.

There they looked out of the window at the ivy vine.
9
班布尔先生用他的藤杖轻轻敲了几下柜台.

bān bù ěr xiān shēng yòng tā de téng zhàng qīng qīng qiāo le jī xià guì tái.

Mr Bumble tapped with his cane on the counter several times.
10
我们打算在房子后面种一棵杂色常春藤.

wǒ mén dǎ suàn zài fáng zǐ hòu miàn zhǒng yī kē zá sè cháng chūn téng.

We're going to grow a variegated ivy up the back of the house.

Cultural Notes for 藤

🏮Cultural insight

In traditional Chinese culture, rattan (藤) has been used for centuries to create furniture and handicrafts, reflecting the importance of natural materials in daily life. The flexibility and strength of these vines symbolize resilience and adaptability.

Word Family of 藤

Words Containing This Character19
藤téngrattan
常春藤ivy
藤田Fujita (Japanese surname)
紫藤wisteria
工藤Kudō (Japanese surname)
顺藤摸瓜to track sth following clues順藤摸瓜
佐藤Satō (Japanese surname)
常青藤ivy
加藤Katō (Japanese surname)
藤条rattan藤條
藤椅téngyǐrattan chair
伊藤Itō or Itoh, Japanese surname
安藤Andō (Japanese surname)
后藤Gotō (Japanese surname)後藤
藤原Fujiwara (Japanese surname)
斋藤Saitō (Japanese surname)齋藤
藤球sepak takraw (sport)
葡萄藤grape vine
藤蔓vine
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 藤 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 藤

藤 specifically refers to climbing plants or vines, while characters like 草 (cǎo) refer to grass or herbs.