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甜 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
Hanzi
Pinyin
English
Tags
甜
tián
sweet
HSK 3, a, 11 strokes, radical 甘, rank #719, Medium
甜
tián
sweet, sweetness
HSK 3, a, 11 strokes, radical 甘, rank #719, Medium
tián(tian2)tian T2
1sweet
2sweet, sweetness
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March 24, 2026
甜tián(tian2)
The character 甜 (tián) means 'sweet' and is commonly used to describe the taste of food, such as fruits or desserts. It can also refer to pleasant experiences or emotions, conveying a sense of joy or happiness. In broader contexts, it can describe anything that brings satisfaction or delight.
Strokes11Radical甘Frequency#719DifficultyMedium
Cultural note
In Chinese culture, sweetness is often associated with happiness and good fortune. Sweet foods are commonly served during celebrations, such as birthdays and weddings, symbolizing a sweet life.
Memory tip
Imagine a happy child tasting a piece of candy, with the sweetness making their face light up. The character 甜 has a 'mouth' (口) at the bottom, suggesting tasting, while the top part resembles a 'field' (田), where sweet fruits grow.
Meanings of 甜
tián(tian2)
1sweet
2sweet, sweetness
Exercise 1 of 2
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About 甜
甜Simplified
11Strokes
甘Radical
形容词xíngróngcíadjective (adj.)Part of Speech
#719Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L3HSK 3.0L3ElementaryTOCFLL3HSKKL2CEFRA2
Podcast: 甜
Podcast: 甜
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AI study notes for 甜
Quick Contrast
苦 (kǔ, bitter) — use 甜 for positive taste or experience, while 苦 indicates a negative or unpleasant one; 酸 (suān, sour) — choose 甜 for sweetness, contrasting with 酸's tartness.
Usage Notes
Learners often confuse 甜 with similar-sounding words like 填 (tián, to fill) or 田 (tián, field). Remember that 甜 is used in both formal and informal settings, especially when discussing food. It commonly collocates with terms like '甜点' (tián diǎn, dessert) or '甜蜜' (tián mì, sweet and affectionate).
HSK Study Tips
As an HSK Level 3 word, 甜 connects to other taste-related vocabulary such as 咸 (xián, salty) and 苦 (kǔ, bitter). Students should focus on using 甜 in sentences to describe food preferences and emotions, enhancing their conversational skills.
Common Mistakes
A frequent mistake is using 甜 to describe non-food contexts inappropriately, like saying '他很甜' (tā hěn tián, he is sweet), which can sound awkward. Instead, use '他很友好' (tā hěn yǒuhǎo, he is friendly) to describe someone's character.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 甜
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The character 甜 (tián) means 'sweet' and is commonly used to describe the taste of food, such as fruits or desserts. It can also refer to pleasant experiences or emotions, conveying a sense of joy or happiness. In broader contexts, it can describe anything that brings satisfaction or delight.
When to use 甜
Learners often confuse 甜 with similar-sounding words like 填 (tián, to fill) or 田 (tián, field). Remember that 甜 is used in both formal and informal settings, especially when discussing food. It commonly collocates with terms like '甜点' (tián diǎn, dessert) or '甜蜜' (tián mì, sweet and affectionate).
甜 or something close to it
苦 (kǔ, bitter) — use 甜 for positive taste or experience, while 苦 indicates a negative or unpleasant one; 酸 (suān, sour) — choose 甜 for sweetness, contrasting with 酸's tartness.
What learners get wrong
A frequent mistake is using 甜 to describe non-food contexts inappropriately, like saying '他很甜' (tā hěn tián, he is sweet), which can sound awkward. Instead, use '他很友好' (tā hěn yǒuhǎo, he is friendly) to describe someone's character.
Write 甜
甜
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Grammar patterns of 甜
甜 functions as an adjective. In Chinese it behaves like a stative verb: place it directly after the subject without 是 (我很高，not 我是高). Use 不 to negate (不高) and pair it with 很 in plain affirmative sentences. It carries 2 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.
xiàng tián jiāo zhèyàng de shūcài huì qiǎng le yuán shāng de wèidào。
Vegetables such as peppers can overpower the flavor of the stock.
7
他们无法理解怎么会有人相信她的甜言蜜语。
tāmen wúfǎ lǐjiě zěnme huì yǒurén xiāngxìn tā de tián yán mì yǔ。
They could not understand how anyone could believe her honeyed words.
8
我能闻到瓜桃熟透了的香甜味道。
wǒ néng wén dào guā táo shóu tòu le de xiāng tián wèidào。
I could smell the honeyed ripeness of melons and peaches.
9
到了上甜点的时候，斯科特显然已经喝醉了。
dào le shàng tián diǎn de shíhou， Sī kē tè xiǎnrán yǐjīng hē zuì le。
Scott was obviously inebriated by the time the dessert was served.
10
谷仓里弥漫着新粪酸甜的气味。
gǔ cāng lǐ mímàn zhe xīn fèn suān tián de qìwèi。
The barn was filled with the sour-sweet smell of fresh dung.
11
他为我写了一首甜蜜的情诗，让我很感动。
Tā wèi wǒ xiě le yì shǒu tiánmì de qíngshī, ràng wǒ hěn gǎndòng.
He wrote a sweet love poem for me, which touched me deeply.
asweet, sweetness3
12
这个蛋糕很甜，我喜欢。
Zhège dàngāo hěn tián, wǒ xǐhuan.
This cake is sweet, I like it.
13
她的笑容就像糖一样甜。
Tā de xiàoróng jiù xiàng táng yīyàng tián.
Her smile is as sweet as sugar.
14
这种水果的味道非常甜。
Zhè zhǒng shuǐguǒ de wèidào fēicháng tián.
The taste of this fruit is very sweet.
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Cultural Notes for 甜
💡Did you know?
In Chinese culture, sweet foods are often associated with happiness and celebration. Desserts like mooncakes and sweet dumplings are popular during festivals.
Word Family of 甜
Words containing this character20
甜tiánsweet
甜蜜tiánmìsweet
甜美tiánměisweet
甜品tiánpǐndessert
甜言蜜语tiányánmìyǔsweet talk甜言蜜語
甜头tiántoubenefit甜頭
甜食tiánshídessert
甜点tiándiǎndessert甜點
香甜xiāngtiánsound (sleep)
酸甜苦辣suāntiánkǔlàsour, sweet, bitter and spicy hot
甜菜tiáncàibeet
甘甜gāntiánsweet
甜味tiánwèisweetness
甜蜜蜜tiánmìmìvery sweet
酸甜suāntiánsour and sweet
甜瓜tiánguāmuskmelon
甜酒tiánjiǔsweet liquor
甜甜圈tiántiánquāndoughnut
甜筒tiántǒngice-cream cone
忆苦思甜yìkǔsītiánto view one's past as miserable and one's present as happy (idiom)憶苦思甜
Exercise 1 of 4
Words with 甜
What does 甜蜜 mean?
Frequently asked questions about 甜
Besides the literal meaning of 'sweet', 甜 (tián) can also convey a sense of happiness or joy in certain contexts. For instance, it can describe sweet memories or experiences that bring joy.
甜 (tián) means 'sweet' while 糖 (táng) means 'sugar'. 甜 is an adjective used to describe the taste, whereas 糖 refers specifically to the substance that adds sweetness to foods and drinks.
甜 (tián) means 'sweet' in Chinese. It can describe the taste of food, such as desserts or fruits, and can also be used metaphorically to describe a pleasant feeling or experience.
You can use 甜 (tián) in a sentence to describe something that has a sweet taste. For example, '这个蛋糕很甜' (zhège dàngāo hěn tián) means 'This cake is very sweet.' It can also be used in expressions like '甜蜜' (tiánmì), which means 'sweet' in a romantic or affectionate context.
You can say '这个蛋糕很甜' (zhège dàngāo hěn tián), meaning 'This cake is very sweet.'
Common phrases include '甜点' (tiándiǎn, dessert) and '甜蜜' (tián mì, sweet and affectionate).
Generally, 甜 has positive connotations, but in some contexts, it can imply something overly sentimental or cliché.
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