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摊 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
摊tānto spread outHSK 7, v, 13 strokes, radical 扌, rank #8190, Hard
摊tānvendor's standHSK 7, v, 13 strokes, radical 扌, rank #8190, Hard
摊tānto spread out, to open, to allot; a merchant's standHSK 7, v, 13 strokes, radical 扌, rank #8190, Hard
tān(tan1) T1
  1. 1to spread out
  2. 2vendor's stand
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March 24, 2026
摊(攤)tān(tan1)

The character 摊 (tān) primarily means 'to spread out' or 'to lay open.' It is commonly used to refer to a vendor's stand, especially in markets where goods are displayed for sale. The nuance includes a sense of informal commerce, often associated with street vendors or small market stalls.

Strokes13Radical扌Frequency#8190DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, street vendors play a significant role in local economies and social life, especially in night markets. The character 摊 encapsulates this aspect of communal and accessible commerce.

Memory Tip

Imagine a vendor at a market who 'spreads out' their colorful goods on a stand. The character 摊 has the radical 手 (shǒu) which means 'hand,' emphasizing the action of laying out items by hand. Picture the vendor using their hands to spread everything out wide and attract customers.

Meanings of 摊

tān(tan1)
1to spread out
2vendor's stand
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 摊

摊Simplified
攤Traditional
13Strokes
扌Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#8190Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L6HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2

Podcast: 摊

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Podcast: 摊

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AI Study Notes for 摊

Quick Contrast

摊 (tān) vs 摆 (bǎi) — use 摊 when referring to informal vendor stands, while 摆 emphasizes the action of placing or arranging items.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a vendor at a market who 'spreads out' their colorful goods on a stand. The character 摊 has the radical 手 (shǒu) which means 'hand,' emphasizing the action of laying out items by hand. Picture the vendor using their hands to spread everything out wide and attract customers.

Usage Notes

Be mindful that 摊 is informal and typically used in contexts related to markets or street selling. A common mistake is to confuse it with similar-sounding words like 攤 (also pronounced tān) which may have different nuances. Use 摊 when referring specifically to vendor stands.

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK level 6 word, 摊 connects with vocabulary related to commerce and daily life. Students should focus on its usage in various contexts related to buying and selling, as well as its interactions with verbs that describe actions of setting up or managing a stand.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, street vendors play a significant role in local economies and social life, especially in night markets. The character 摊 encapsulates this aspect of communal and accessible commerce.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 摊 with 站 (zhàn), which means 'station' or 'to stand.' For example, saying '我去摊' (wǒ qù tān) to mean 'I go to the station' is incorrect; it should be '我去站' (wǒ qù zhàn).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 摊

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Etymology of 摊

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

Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 难 represents the sound. Simplified form of 攤.

Memory Hint

hand

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

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 摊?

Decomposition of 摊

IDS Structure⿰扌难
摊Full Character
=
扌shou3
left
难nan2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 摊?

Write 摊

摊

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

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Grammar Patterns of 摊

摊 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 4

Complete the Sentence

即使把价钱平____成6份，每人也还是要花一大笔钱。

Splitting the price six ways had still cost them each a bundle.

Example Sentences for 摊 (10)

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1
即使把价钱平摊成6份，每人也还是要花一大笔钱。

jí shǐ bǎ jià qián píng tān chéng6 6， fèn ， měi rén yě huán shì yào huā yī dà。

Splitting the price six ways had still cost them each a bundle.
2
我向一两个摊贩打听了此事。

wǒ xiàng yī liǎng gè tān fàn dǎ tīng le cǐ shì。

I asked one or two of the stallholders about it.
3
她从街角的小摊上买了个热狗。

tā cóng jiē jiǎo de xiǎo tān shàng mǎi le gè rè gǒu。

She bought a hot dog from a stand on a street corner.
4
她正在忙着收拾早饭后的那一摊子。

tā zhèng zài máng zháo shōu shí zǎo fàn hòu de nà yī tān zǐ。

She was in the middle of clearing the breakfast things.
5
在热闹广场的另一边，摊贩叫卖着热狗和羊角三明治。

zài rè nào guǎng cháng de lìng yī biān， ， tān fàn jiào mài zháo rè gǒu hé yáng jiǎo sān míng。

Across the busy plaza, vendors sell hot dogs and croissant sandwiches.
6
减免的税额在地产和受益人之间分摊。

jiǎn miǎn de shuì é zài dì chǎn hé shòu yì rén zhī jiān fēn tān。

The allowable deduction is apportioned between the estate and the beneficiaries.
7
看起来那像是个会拖延多年的大烂摊子。

kàn qǐ lái nà xiàng shì gè huì tuō yán duō nián de dà làn tān zǐ。

That seems like a horrible mess that will drag on for years.
8
他会吃两片阿司匹林，然后摊开手脚躺在床上。

tā huì chī liǎng piàn ā sī pǐ lín， ， rán hòu tān kāi shǒu jiǎo tǎng zài chuáng。

He would take two aspirin and sprawl out on his bed.
9
罗兰多趴着睡着了，四肢摊开，打着呼噜。

luó lán duō pā zháo shuì zháo le， ， sì zhī tān， kāi ， dǎ zháo。

Rolando lay sprawled on his stomach, snoring.
10
他手脚摊开横躺在床上。

tā shǒu jiǎo tān kāi héng tǎng zài chuáng shàng。

He was sprawled full-length across the bed.

Cultural Notes for 摊

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, street vendors play a significant role in local economies and social life, especially in night markets. The character 摊 encapsulates this aspect of communal and accessible commerce.

Word Family of 摊

Words Containing This Character19
摊tānto spread out攤
烂摊子terrible mess爛攤子
摊位vendor's booth攤位
摊牌to lay one's cards on the table攤牌
分摊to apportion分攤
摊子booth攤子
摆摊to set up a vendor's stall in the street擺攤
摊点place for a vendor's stall攤點
摊贩peddler攤販
报摊newsstand報攤
地摊street stall with goods laid out on the ground地攤
摊派to demand contributions攤派
摊开to spread out攤開
小摊vendor's stall小攤
平摊to spread out平攤
货摊vendor's stall貨攤
摆地摊lit. to set up a stall on the ground擺地攤
摊档(dialect) vendor's stall攤檔
均摊to share equally均攤
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 摊 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 摊

While both can refer to a stand, 摊 is more commonly used for informal vendor situations, whereas 攤 may imply a more formal setup.