Skip to content
Stroke order, etymology and audio for every word.Start learning
诠 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
诠quánto expound, to explain, to comment onHSK 7, v, 8 strokes, radical 讠, rank #35563, Very Hard
诠quánto commentHSK 7, unknown, 8 strokes, radical 讠, rank #35563, Very Hard
诠quánto annotateHSK 7, unknown, 8 strokes, radical 讠, rank #35563, Very Hard
quán(quan2)quan T2
  1. 1to expound, to explain, to comment on
  2. 2to comment
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

诠(詮)quán(quan2)

The character 诠 (quán) means to expound or explain something in detail. It is commonly used in academic and literary contexts when discussing interpretations or annotations of texts. The nuance of this word indicates a thoughtful and thorough examination of a subject.

Strokes8Radical讠Frequency#35563DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In Chinese literature, the practice of annotation and commentary has a long tradition, especially in classical texts like the Confucian Analects. 诠 reflects the importance placed on understanding and interpreting historical works.

Memory tip

Imagine a 'quaint' scholar, dressed in traditional robes, sitting in a quaint library, passionately explaining ancient texts. The character 诠 has the radical for 'speech' (讠) on the left, emphasizing its connection to communication and explanation.

Meanings of 诠

quán(quan2)
1to expound, to explain, to comment on
2to comment
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 诠 means.

About 诠

诠Simplified
詮Traditional
8Strokes
讠Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2

Podcast: 诠

JasonAmy

Podcast: 诠

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 诠

Quick Contrast

解释 (jiěshì) vs 说明 (shuōmíng) — use 诠 when emphasizing a deep, detailed interpretation, while 解释 is more about general explanation and 说明 focuses on clarification.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 诠 with 传 (chuán), which means to pass on information. 诠 is more formal and often used in written contexts, while 传 can be used in everyday conversation. Common collocations include 诠释 (quánshì - to interpret) and 诠解 (quánjiě - to explain).

HSK Study Tips

Although 诠 is not in the HSK vocabulary list, it is related to higher-level terms that involve explanation and interpretation. Students should focus on its use in academic texts and practice forming sentences with related terms.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 诠 with 评 (píng), which means to evaluate. For example, saying '我会评这篇文章' (I will evaluate this article) instead of '我会诠释这篇文章' (I will expound on this article) can lead to misunderstanding.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 诠

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 诠 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
Get Pro to unlock

Jason Explains 诠 to You

Let me explain 诠 for you

Make it yours

Jason looks at what you watch and listen to, the checkpoints you have cleared, our lessons and what you have been exploring, and explains 诠 through them.

Sign in free to make it personal. New accounts start with 215 AI credits.

How Well Do You Know 诠?

Example

Learning Lab

Knowing 诠 is seven skills, not one.

Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.

  • MeaningFree
  • CharacterFree
  • PinyinFree
  • TonePro
  • ListeningPro
  • SpeakingPro
  • WritingPro
See the Learning Lab Three facets free · no card needed

Etymology of 诠

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

Phonosemantic compound. 讠 represents the meaning and 全 represents the sound. Simplified form of 詮.

Memory hint

speech

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

Origin

诠 = 讠 + 全. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 诠

IDS Structure⿰讠全
诠Full character
=
讠yan2
left
全Quan2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 诠?

How to say to expound, to explain, to comment on in Chinese

“to expound, to explain, to comment on” in Chinese is诠quán

The character 诠 (quán) means to expound or explain something in detail. It is commonly used in academic and literary contexts when discussing interpretations or annotations of texts. The nuance of this word indicates a thoughtful and thorough examination of a subject.

When to use 诠

Be careful not to confuse 诠 with 传 (chuán), which means to pass on information. 诠 is more formal and often used in written contexts, while 传 can be used in everyday conversation. Common collocations include 诠释 (quánshì - to interpret) and 诠解 (quánjiě - to explain).

诠 or something close to it

解释 (jiěshì) vs 说明 (shuōmíng) — use 诠 when emphasizing a deep, detailed interpretation, while 解释 is more about general explanation and 说明 focuses on clarification.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 诠 with 评 (píng), which means to evaluate. For example, saying '我会评这篇文章' (I will evaluate this article) instead of '我会诠释这篇文章' (I will expound on this article) can lead to misunderstanding.

Write 诠

诠

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 诠

诠 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. 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 1

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

学生们被要求____释那首诗的意义。

The students were asked to interpret the poem.

Example Sentences for 诠 (1)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
学生们被要求诠释那首诗的意义。

xué shēng mén bèi yào qiú quán shì nà shǒu shī de yì yì。

The students were asked to interpret the poem.

Ask Jason

Have a question about 诠?

Jason answers about this word at your level: example sentences, how it differs from similar words, and a way to remember it.

Sign in free to ask. New accounts start with 215 AI credits.

Word Family of 诠

Words containing this character3
诠释to interpret詮釋
诠quánto explain詮
诠注exegesis詮註
Exercise 1 of 2

Words with 诠

What does 诠释 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 诠

No, 诠 is more commonly found in formal writing and academic discussions.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 诠?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.

A sample week, replayed. Every page you study lands here in the order you did it — your own replay starts with a free account.

See the Learning Lab