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残 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
残cánto destroyHSK 7, n, 9 strokes, radical 歹, rank #5783, Very Hard
残cánto spoilHSK 7, n, 9 strokes, radical 歹, rank #5783, Very Hard
残cánto ruinHSK 7, n, 9 strokes, radical 歹, rank #5783, Very Hard
残cánto injureHSK 7, n, 9 strokes, radical 歹, rank #5783, Very Hard
残cáncruelHSK 7, n, 9 strokes, radical 歹, rank #5783, Very Hard
残cánoppressiveHSK 7, n, 9 strokes, radical 歹, rank #5783, Very Hard
残cánsavageHSK 7, n, 9 strokes, radical 歹, rank #5783, Very Hard
残cánbrutalHSK 7, n, 9 strokes, radical 歹, rank #5783, Very Hard
残cánincompleteHSK 7, n, 9 strokes, radical 歹, rank #5783, Very Hard
残cándisabledHSK 7, n, 9 strokes, radical 歹, rank #5783, Very Hard
残cánto remainHSK 7, n, 9 strokes, radical 歹, rank #5783, Very Hard
残cánto surviveHSK 7, n, 9 strokes, radical 歹, rank #5783, Very Hard
残cánremnantHSK 7, n, 9 strokes, radical 歹, rank #5783, Very Hard
残cánsurplusHSK 7, n, 9 strokes, radical 歹, rank #5783, Very Hard
cán(can2) T2
  1. 1to destroy
  2. 2to spoil
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

残(殘)cán(can2)

The character 残 (cán) primarily conveys the idea of something that has been damaged, ruined, or is incomplete. It is often used in contexts describing remnants or what remains after destruction, as well as to denote cruelty or harshness in situations or behavior.

Strokes9Radical歹Frequency#5783DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, the concept of 残 can reflect the harsh realities of life and survival, often seen in historical narratives about war and loss where remnants of a once-thriving community are left.

Memory Tip

Imagine a cruel ruler (残) who destroys his land, leaving only remnants behind. The character has the radical for 'death' (死) combined with 'hand' (手), suggesting the hands that have caused destruction.

Meanings of 残

cán(can2)
1to destroy
2to spoil
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 残

残Simplified
殘Traditional
9Strokes
歹Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#5783Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedTOCFLL5CEFRC2

Podcast: 残

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Podcast: 残

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AI Study Notes for 残

Quick Contrast

残 (cán) vs 破 (pò) — use 残 when emphasizing the idea of being incomplete or a remnant, while 破 focuses more on the act of breaking or being broken.

Usage Notes

Be cautious with the tone when pronouncing 残 (cán), as it can easily be mixed up with other similar-sounding words. Common collocations include 残忍 (cánrěn, cruel) and 残余 (cányú, surplus). This character is generally used in both formal and informal contexts.

HSK Study Tips

Although 残 is not in the official HSK vocabulary lists, it relates to the HSK 4 level vocabulary such as 伤 (shāng, injury) and 毁 (huǐ, to destroy). Focus on understanding its usage in different contexts to strengthen your vocabulary.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 残 (cán) with 整 (zhěng, complete), using them interchangeably. For example, saying '这个项目很残' (This project is very destroyed) instead of '这个项目很残缺' (This project is very incomplete) can lead to misunderstanding.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 残

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Etymology of 残

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

Simplified form of 殘. Phonosemantic compound. 歹 represents the meaning and 戔 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

death

Semantic (meaning)歹
+
Phonetic (sound)戋
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 残

Simplified form of 殘. Phonosemantic compound. 歹 represents the meaning and 戔 represents the sound.

  1. 1The meaning half歹 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half戋 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaydeath
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 残? 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 残?

Decomposition of 残

IDS Structure⿰歹戋
残Full Character
=
歹dai3
left
戋jian1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 残?

How to say to destroy in Chinese

“to destroy” in Chinese is残cán

The character 残 (cán) primarily conveys the idea of something that has been damaged, ruined, or is incomplete. It is often used in contexts describing remnants or what remains after destruction, as well as to denote cruelty or harshness in situations or behavior.

When to use 残

Be cautious with the tone when pronouncing 残 (cán), as it can easily be mixed up with other similar-sounding words. Common collocations include 残忍 (cánrěn, cruel) and 残余 (cányú, surplus). This character is generally used in both formal and informal contexts.

残 or something close to it

残 (cán) vs 破 (pò) — use 残 when emphasizing the idea of being incomplete or a remnant, while 破 focuses more on the act of breaking or being broken.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 残 (cán) with 整 (zhěng, complete), using them interchangeably. For example, saying '这个项目很残' (This project is very destroyed) instead of '这个项目很残缺' (This project is very incomplete) can lead to misunderstanding.

Write 残

残

Practice writing 残 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 残

残 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 14 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

你知道，____疾人士也拥有投票权。

People with disabilities have got a vote as well, you know.

Example Sentences for 残 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
你知道，残疾人士也拥有投票权。

nǐ zhī dào， ， cán jí rén shì yě yōng yǒu tóu piào。

People with disabilities have got a vote as well, you know.
2
在我生长的伦敦，四周全是轰炸后的断壁残垣。

zài wǒ shēng cháng de lún dūn， ， sì zhōu quán shì hōng zhà hòu de duàn bì cán。

In London, where I grew up, we were surrounded by bomb sites.
3
战争颠倒是非：杀戮与残忍成了美德。

zhàn zhēng diān dǎo shì fēi： ： shā lù yǔ cán rěn chéng le měi。

War turns morality inside out: killing and cruelty are virtues.
4
我所得到的唯一食物就是这家人的残羹剩饭。

wǒ suǒ dé dào de wéi yī shí wù jiù shì zhè jiā rén de cán gēng shèng fàn。

The only food I ever got was the family's leftovers.
5
他靠每周领取的作为病残养老金的直接转账救济支票过日子。

tā kào měi zhōu lǐng qǔ de zuò wéi bìng cán yǎng lǎo jīn de zhí jiē zhuǎn zhàng jiù jì zhī piào guò rì zǐ。

He lived on an invalidity pension which came as a weekly giro.
6
他小心翼翼地跨过残余的隔墙。

tā xiǎo xīn yì yì dì kuà guò cán yú de gé qiáng。

He moved carefully over what remained of partition walls.
7
战斗持续了24个小时后，该部队残部打算溜掉。

zhàn dǒu chí xù le24 24 gè xiǎo shí， hòu ， gāi bù duì cán bù dǎ suàn。

After twenty-four hours of fighting, the remnants of the force were fleeing.
8
卡斯特是个白痴，是个残暴的家伙，他罪有应得。

kǎ sī tè shì gè bái chī， ， shì gè cán bào de jiā， huǒ ， tā zuì yǒu。

Custer was an idiot and a brute and he deserved his fate.
9
詹森是个危险人物，可能会变得非常野蛮而凶残。

zhān sēn shì gè wēi xiǎn rén wù， ， kě néng huì biàn dé fēi cháng yě mán ér xiōng。

Jensen is a dangerous man, and can be very brutal and reckless.
10
马克被人从他着火的汽车残骸中拉了出来。

mǎ kè bèi rén cóng tā zháo huǒ de qì chē cán hái zhōng lā le chū lái。

Mark was dragged from the burning wreckage of his car.

Word Family of 残

Words Containing This Character20
残cánto destroy殘
残忍cánrěncruel殘忍
残酷cánkùcruel殘酷
残疾人cánjíréndisabled person殘疾人
残留cánliúto remain殘留
残疾cánjídisabled殘疾
残骸remains殘骸
凶残xiōngcánsavage兇殘
残余remnant殘餘
残暴brutal殘暴
残废deformity殘廢
残杀to massacre殘殺
摧残cuīcánto ravage摧殘
残局endgame (in chess)殘局
伤残shāngcándisabled傷殘
残害to injure殘害
残留物remnant殘留物
自相残杀to massacre one another (idiom); internecine strife自相殘殺
残缺cánquēbadly damaged殘缺
残存to survive殘存
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 残 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 残

In a sentence, 残 can describe something that has been damaged, such as '这件艺术品残缺不全' which means 'This artwork is incomplete.'

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