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癱 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
癱tānparalysis, palsy, numbnesszg, 24 strokes, radical 疒
tān(tan1) T1
  1. 1paralysis, palsy, numbness
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

癱tān(tan1)

The character 癱 (tān) refers to a state of paralysis or numbness, often associated with a loss of ability to move or feel in a part of the body. It is commonly used in medical contexts, particularly when discussing conditions that lead to loss of motor functions or sensation. This term can also imply a figurative paralysis, such as being unable to act or make decisions.

Strokes24Radical疒
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese medicine, concepts of paralysis and related ailments often connect to beliefs about the flow of 'qi' (energy) in the body. Understanding this character can provide insight into discussions about health and wellness in Chinese culture.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person trying to stand up but their legs are 'frozen' and can't move, symbolizing paralysis. The character 癱 has the radical for sickness (疒) at the left, indicating its medical meaning, while the right side (壇) can remind you of a pedestal where someone might remain stuck, unable to move.

Meanings of 癱

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

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 癱

癱Simplified
24Strokes
疒Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 癱

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Podcast: 癱

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AI Study Notes for 癱

Quick Contrast

瘫 (tān) refers specifically to the condition of being paralyzed, often used interchangeably with 癱 (tān) in medical contexts; however, 癱 may carry a broader connotation of numbness or figurative paralysis.

Usage Notes

When using 癱, be mindful of its context, as it is more formal and medical in nature. Common collocations include 癱瘓 (tān huàn) meaning 'paralysis' and 癱腿 (tān tuǐ) meaning 'numb legs.' Avoid using this term casually, as it can sound insensitive in informal settings.

HSK Study Tips

While 癱 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it connects to medical terminologies that might appear in HSK 4 and higher. Students should focus on recognizing this character in medical texts and dialogues, expanding their understanding of health-related vocabulary.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 癱 with similar-sounding characters, such as 贪 (tān), which means 'greedy.' Remember that 癱 relates to paralysis, while 贪 reflects a personality trait. Additionally, using 癱 in casual conversation can lead to misunderstandings; it's best reserved for medical contexts.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 癱

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Etymology of 癱

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)難
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 癱

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

  1. 1The meaning half疒 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half難 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaysickness
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 癱? 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 癱?

Decomposition of 癱

IDS Structure⿸疒難
癱Full Character
=
疒ne4
enclosing
難nan2
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 癱?

How to say paralysis, palsy, numbness in Chinese

“paralysis, palsy, numbness” in Chinese is癱tān

The character 癱 (tān) refers to a state of paralysis or numbness, often associated with a loss of ability to move or feel in a part of the body. It is commonly used in medical contexts, particularly when discussing conditions that lead to loss of motor functions or sensation. This term can also imply a figurative paralysis, such as being unable to act or make decisions.

When to use 癱

When using 癱, be mindful of its context, as it is more formal and medical in nature. Common collocations include 癱瘓 (tān huàn) meaning 'paralysis' and 癱腿 (tān tuǐ) meaning 'numb legs.' Avoid using this term casually, as it can sound insensitive in informal settings.

癱 or something close to it

瘫 (tān) refers specifically to the condition of being paralyzed, often used interchangeably with 癱 (tān) in medical contexts; however, 癱 may carry a broader connotation of numbness or figurative paralysis.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 癱 with similar-sounding characters, such as 贪 (tān), which means 'greedy.' Remember that 癱 relates to paralysis, while 贪 reflects a personality trait. Additionally, using 癱 in casual conversation can lead to misunderstandings; it's best reserved for medical contexts.

Write 癱

癱

Practice writing 癱 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 癱

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 癱

癱 (tān) and 瘫痪 (tān huàn) both refer to paralysis, but 瘫痪 is a more complete term that explicitly means 'paralysis' and is more commonly used.

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