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亶 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
亶dǎnreal, sincere, true; truthzg, 13 strokes, radical 亠
亶dǎnsurname Danunknown, 13 strokes, radical 亠
dǎn(Dan3) T3
  1. 1real, sincere, true; truth
Also a Chinese surname, Dan — see the Surname Dictionary
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

亶dǎn(Dan3)

The character 亶 (dǎn) conveys meanings of authenticity and sincerity. It is often used in literary or formal contexts to describe something that is genuine or true, and it can also refer to the surname Dan. This character emphasizes a sense of honesty and trustworthiness.

Strokes13Radical亠
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, sincerity is highly valued, especially in personal and business relationships. The character 亶 represents this cultural emphasis on being genuine and trustworthy, reflecting traditional values in society.

Memory Tip

Imagine a 'darn' good friend who is always true to you. The character 亶 resembles a person standing firmly, symbolizing truth and sincerity. The top part resembles a roof, suggesting sheltering honesty, while the bottom part represents a strong foundation of trust.

Meanings of 亶

dǎn(Dan3)
1real, sincere, true; truth
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 亶

亶Simplified
13Strokes
亠Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 亶

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Podcast: 亶

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AI Study Notes for 亶

Usage Notes

Students often confuse 亶 with similar characters like 真 (zhēn) which also means 'true' but carries a more casual tone. It's important to use 亶 in appropriate formal contexts. Be mindful of the tone; the third tone 'dǎn' can be easily mistaken for the second tone.

HSK Study Tips

Although 亶 is not an HSK level word, it connects with other words related to truth and sincerity found in HSK vocabulary. Focus on understanding its use in literary texts to appreciate its depth and to distinguish it from more commonly used terms.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mispronounce 亶, confusing the third tone with the second tone. For example, saying 'dān' instead of 'dǎn' changes the meaning entirely. Additionally, using it in informal contexts can sound awkward.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 亶

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Etymology of 亶

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Phonetic (sound)旦
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 亶

  1. 1The sound half旦 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  2. 2On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 亶? 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 亶?

Decomposition of 亶

IDS Structure⿱亠⿱回旦
亶Full Character
=
亠tou2
top
回hui2
top
旦dan4
bottom
Exercise 1 of 3

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 亶?

How to say real, sincere, true; truth in Chinese

“real, sincere, true; truth” in Chinese is亶dǎn

The character 亶 (dǎn) conveys meanings of authenticity and sincerity. It is often used in literary or formal contexts to describe something that is genuine or true, and it can also refer to the surname Dan. This character emphasizes a sense of honesty and trustworthiness.

When to use 亶

Students often confuse 亶 with similar characters like 真 (zhēn) which also means 'true' but carries a more casual tone. It's important to use 亶 in appropriate formal contexts. Be mindful of the tone; the third tone 'dǎn' can be easily mistaken for the second tone.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mispronounce 亶, confusing the third tone with the second tone. For example, saying 'dān' instead of 'dǎn' changes the meaning entirely. Additionally, using it in informal contexts can sound awkward.

Write 亶

亶

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 亶

Words Containing This Character1
亶dǎnsurname Dan
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 亶 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 亶

Synonyms include 真 (zhēn) meaning 'true' and 真实 (zhēnshí) meaning 'real'.

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