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瘫 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
瘫tānparalyzedHSK 7, v, 15 strokes, radical 疒, rank #19998, Hard
瘫tānparalysis, palsy, numbnessHSK 7, v, 15 strokes, radical 疒, rank #19998, Hard
tān(tan1) T1
  1. 1paralyzed
  2. 2paralysis, palsy, numbness
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March 24, 2026
瘫(癱)tān(tan1)

The character 瘫 (tān) refers to a state of paralysis or being paralyzed, often used in medical contexts. It can describe physical paralysis as well as the numbness or loss of function in limbs. This term can also be utilized metaphorically to describe a state of inactivity or inability to function effectively.

Strokes15Radical疒Frequency#19998DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese medicine, the concept of paralysis is often linked to the balance of qi (energy) in the body, and treatments may involve acupuncture or herbal remedies to restore function. The term reflects both modern medical terminology and traditional understanding of health.

Memory Tip

Imagine a 'tan' (瘫) bear who is unable to move due to being stuck in a muddy puddle. The bear's paralysis represents the character's meaning, while the visual of the muddy puddle connects to the character's form with the '病' radical, suggesting illness or disability.

Meanings of 瘫

tān(tan1)
1paralyzed
2paralysis, palsy, numbness
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 瘫

瘫Simplified
癱Traditional
15Strokes
疒Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#19998Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2

Podcast: 瘫

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Podcast: 瘫

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AI Study Notes for 瘫

Quick Contrast

瘫 (tān) vs 麻 (má) — choose 瘫 when specifically referring to paralysis, while 麻 indicates numbness or a tingling sensation.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a 'tan' (瘫) bear who is unable to move due to being stuck in a muddy puddle. The bear's paralysis represents the character's meaning, while the visual of the muddy puddle connects to the character's form with the '病' radical, suggesting illness or disability.

Usage Notes

The term 瘫 is often used in medical contexts, so it's more formal and less common in everyday conversation. Be careful not to confuse it with similar-sounding words like 贪 (tān), which means greedy. It often collocates with words related to health or medical conditions, such as '瘫痪' (tānhuàn) meaning paralysis.

HSK Study Tips

Although 瘫 is not currently included in the HSK vocabulary lists, it can be useful for learners at higher levels interested in medical or health-related topics. Students should focus on understanding its usage in contexts related to health and disability.

Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese medicine, the concept of paralysis is often linked to the balance of qi (energy) in the body, and treatments may involve acupuncture or herbal remedies to restore function. The term reflects both modern medical terminology and traditional understanding of health.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 瘫 with similar characters like 赡 (shàn) or 贪 (tān). For example, saying '我感觉瘫了' (Wǒ gǎnjué tānle) is incorrect if they mean 'I feel paralyzed by inaction'—'瘫' should only describe a physical state of paralysis.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 瘫

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Etymology of 瘫

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

Phonosemantic compound. 疒 represents the meaning and 难 represents the sound. Simplified form of 癱.

Memory Hint

sickness

Semantic (meaning)疒
+
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 瘫?

Decomposition of 瘫

IDS Structure⿸疒难
瘫Full Character
=
疒ne4
enclosing
难nan2
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 瘫?

Write 瘫

瘫

Practice writing 瘫 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 瘫

瘫 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 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.

Related grammar lessons1
Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

一场暴风雨致使公路隐患重重且电力____痪。

A storm has made roads treacherous and knocked out power.

Example Sentences for 瘫 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
一场暴风雨致使公路隐患重重且电力瘫痪。

yī cháng bào fēng yǔ zhì shǐ gōng lù yǐn huàn zhòng zhòng qiě diàn lì tān huàn。

A storm has made roads treacherous and knocked out power.
2
他双眼凝视着她，令她全身瘫软，不能动弹。

tā shuāng yǎn níng shì zháo tā， ， líng tā quán shēn tān， ruǎn ， bù néng。

His eyes bored into her, paralysing her, robbing her of movement.
3
麦卡纳利双膝发软，瘫倒在地板上。

mài kǎ nà lì shuāng xī fā ruǎn， ， tān dǎo zài dì bǎn。

Mcanally's knees buckled and he crumpled down onto the floor.
4
龙的毒素会引起瘫痪、肿胀和恶心。

lóng de dú sù huì yǐn qǐ tān huàn、 、 zhǒng zhàng hé è。

Poison from the weaver fish causes paralysis, swelling, and nausea.
5
他烂醉如泥，瘫倒在沙发上。

tā làn zuì rú ní， ， tān dǎo zài shā fā。

He fell back onto the sofa in a drunken stupor.
6
一名39岁的马拉松参赛者跑到一半时瘫倒在地，没过多久就死了。

yī míng39 39 suì de mǎ lā sōng cān sài zhě pǎo dào yī bàn shí tān dǎo zài， dì ， méi guò duō jiǔ jiù。

A thirty-nine-year-old competitor collapsed half-way through the marathon and died shortly afterwards.
7
钱斯·麦卡利斯特瘫倒在地。

qián sī· · mài kǎ lì sī tè tān dǎo zài。

Chance McAllister lay crumpled on the floor.
8
他一下子瘫倒在地。

tā yī xià zǐ tān dǎo zài dì。

He immediately crumpled to the floor.
9
杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。

jié kè shí fēn tòng kǔ dì tān dǎo zài dì bǎn shàng。

Jack collapsed in agony on the floor.
10
蛇用其毒液使受害者失去知觉或瘫痪.

shé yòng qí dú yè shǐ shòu hài zhě shī qù zhī jué huò tān huàn.

The snake uses its venom to stun or paralyze its victims.

Cultural Notes for 瘫

🏮Cultural insight

In traditional Chinese medicine, the concept of paralysis is often linked to the balance of qi (energy) in the body, and treatments may involve acupuncture or herbal remedies to restore function. The term reflects both modern medical terminology and traditional understanding of health.

Word Family of 瘫

Words Containing This Character10
瘫痪tānhuànparalysis癱瘓
瘫tānparalyzed癱
脑瘫cerebral palsy腦癱
面瘫facial nerve paralysis面癱
偏瘫hemiplegia偏癱
瘫软limp癱軟
截瘫paraplegia截癱
瘫子paralyzed person癱子
风瘫paralysis風癱
疯瘫paralysis瘋癱
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 瘫痪 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 瘫

瘫 specifically refers to a state of being paralyzed, often used for a more severe or complete loss of function, while other terms may describe varying degrees of impairment.