2Baron, lowest of five orders of nobility 五等爵位[wǔ děng jué wèi]
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March 24, 2026
男nán(nan2)
The character 男 (nán) means 'male' or 'man'. It is often used to refer to adult males, boys, or in contexts discussing gender. Additionally, it can relate to hierarchical titles like 'Baron' in nobility, showing its versatility in different contexts.
Strokes7Radical田Frequency#574DifficultyEasy
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the concept of gender roles is traditionally significant, with 男 (nán) often associated with strength and responsibility. This character may appear in discussions about family dynamics, societal expectations, and even in modern debates about gender equality.
Memory Tip
Imagine a man (男) with a broad shoulders and a strong stance, symbolizing masculinity. The character's components can be visualized as a man standing proudly, reinforcing its meaning as 'male'. The pronunciation 'nán' sounds like 'man', helping you remember both the sound and meaning.
Meanings of 男
nán(nan2)
1male
2Baron, lowest of five orders of nobility 五等爵位[wǔ děng jué wèi]
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AI Study Notes for 男
Quick Contrast
男 (nán) vs 男子 (nánzǐ) — use 男 (nán) for a general reference to 'male' or 'man', while 男子 (nánzǐ) specifically refers to 'a man' in a more formal or literary context.
Usage Notes
Common mistakes include confusing 男 (nán) with 女 (nǚ), which means 'female'. It's important to use 男 in contexts related to gender or when specifying a male person. This character is generally informal and widely used, so learners should practice its collocations, such as 男孩 (nánhái - boy) and 男人 (nánrén - man).
HSK Study Tips
As an HSK Level 2 character, 男 connects well with other basic gender-related terms like 女 (nǚ) and 朋友 (péngyǒu - friend). Students should focus on using it in simple sentences to describe people and practicing its pronunciation in context.
Common Mistakes
Learners often mistakenly use 男 (nán) when discussing a group that includes females, such as saying '男和女朋友' (nán hé nǚ péngyǒu), which improperly mixes genders. The correct phrase would simply be '朋友' (péngyǒu) to refer to 'friends' without specifying gender.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 男
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Traditionally males (男) were the people who plowed (力) the fields (田).
1The giveawaySomeone who can work 力 the farm 田
2On the record asideographic — someone drew an idea rather than an object.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 男? 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 男?
Decomposition of 男
IDS Structure⿱田力
男Full Character
=
田Tian2
top
力Li4
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 男?
How to say male in Chinese
“male” in Chinese is男nán
The character 男 (nán) means 'male' or 'man'. It is often used to refer to adult males, boys, or in contexts discussing gender. Additionally, it can relate to hierarchical titles like 'Baron' in nobility, showing its versatility in different contexts.
When to use 男
Common mistakes include confusing 男 (nán) with 女 (nǚ), which means 'female'. It's important to use 男 in contexts related to gender or when specifying a male person. This character is generally informal and widely used, so learners should practice its collocations, such as 男孩 (nánhái - boy) and 男人 (nánrén - man).
男 or something close to it
男 (nán) vs 男子 (nánzǐ) — use 男 (nán) for a general reference to 'male' or 'man', while 男子 (nánzǐ) specifically refers to 'a man' in a more formal or literary context.
What learners get wrong
Learners often mistakenly use 男 (nán) when discussing a group that includes females, such as saying '男和女朋友' (nán hé nǚ péngyǒu), which improperly mixes genders. The correct phrase would simply be '朋友' (péngyǒu) to refer to 'friends' without specifying gender.
Write 男
男
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Practice writing 男 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 男
男 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 4 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.
