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March 24, 2026
顽(頑)wán(wan2)
The character 顽 (wán) primarily denotes a sense of being mischievous or obstinate. It can describe someone who is stubborn or recalcitrant, often in a playful or naughty context. It is commonly used in phrases that connote playful mischief or stubborn behavior.
Strokes10Radical页Frequency#40798DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, being mischievous (顽皮) is often seen as a part of childhood, reflecting a playful spirit that is sometimes celebrated. This character can evoke fond memories when discussing children's behavior in stories or family conversations.
Memory Tip
Imagine a playful child (the character's meaning) who refuses to follow rules, embodying the essence of 顽. The left component, '犬' (dog), suggests playfulness, while the right part '顽' (to play) reinforces the idea of a naughty spirit. Picture a dog that just won't listen, running around causing mischief!
Meanings of 顽
wán(wan2)
1mischievous
2obstinate
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 顽
顽Simplified
頑Traditional
10Strokes
页Radical
形容词性语素xíngróngcíadjective root (adj.root)Part of Speech
#40798Frequency Rank
Podcast: 顽
Podcast: 顽
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AI Study Notes for 顽
Quick Contrast
顽 (wán) vs 倔 (jué) — use 顽 for playful or mischievous stubbornness, while 倔 conveys a more serious or unyielding stubbornness.
Usage Notes
Learners often confuse 顽 with its synonym, 固执 (gùzhí), which means stubborn but lacks the playful nuance. It's used informally to describe mischief or stubbornness, so avoid using it in formal contexts. Common collocations include 顽皮 (wánpí, naughty) and 顽固 (wángù, obstinate).
HSK Study Tips
While 顽 is not in the official HSK list, it shares a thematic connection with other adjectives describing personality traits, such as 调皮 (tiáopí, mischievous) and 固执 (gùzhí, stubborn). Focus on recognizing its usage in conversational contexts to enhance your vocabulary.
Common Mistakes
Learners may mistakenly use 顽 to describe serious stubbornness without the playful aspect, such as saying '他很顽' (Tā hěn wán) to mean 'He is very stubborn.' Instead, use '他很固执' (Tā hěn gùzhí) for serious stubbornness.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 顽
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Phonosemantic compound. 页 represents the meaning and 元 represents the sound. Simplified form of 頑.
1The meaning half页 carries the sense.
2The sound half元 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawayhead
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 顽? 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 顽?
Decomposition of 顽
IDS Structure⿰元页
顽Full Character
=
元Yuan2
left
页ye4
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 顽?
How to say mischievous in Chinese
“mischievous” in Chinese is顽wán
The character 顽 (wán) primarily denotes a sense of being mischievous or obstinate. It can describe someone who is stubborn or recalcitrant, often in a playful or naughty context. It is commonly used in phrases that connote playful mischief or stubborn behavior.
When to use 顽
Learners often confuse 顽 with its synonym, 固执 (gùzhí), which means stubborn but lacks the playful nuance. It's used informally to describe mischief or stubbornness, so avoid using it in formal contexts. Common collocations include 顽皮 (wánpí, naughty) and 顽固 (wángù, obstinate).
顽 or something close to it
顽 (wán) vs 倔 (jué) — use 顽 for playful or mischievous stubbornness, while 倔 conveys a more serious or unyielding stubbornness.
What learners get wrong
Learners may mistakenly use 顽 to describe serious stubbornness without the playful aspect, such as saying '他很顽' (Tā hěn wán) to mean 'He is very stubborn.' Instead, use '他很固执' (Tā hěn gùzhí) for serious stubbornness.
Write 顽
顽
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Practice writing 顽 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 顽
顽 carries 7 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.
