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蹣 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
蹣pánto stagger, to limpx, 18 strokes, radical 足
pán(pan2) T2
  1. 1to stagger, to limp
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

蹣pán(pan2)

The character 蹣 (pán) means to stagger or to limp, often referring to a way of walking that is unsteady or uneven. It is commonly used to describe physical movement that is affected by injury, fatigue, or an unstable surface. This term can also convey a sense of struggle or difficulty in movement.

Strokes18Radical足
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the way someone walks can carry significant meaning, often reflecting their health or emotional state. The imagery of limping or staggering can evoke feelings of sympathy or concern in social contexts.

Memory Tip

Imagine a panda (sounds like 'pán') who has hurt its paw and is trying to walk but keeps stumbling, looking very clumsy and unsteady. The radical 足 (foot) in the character reinforces the idea of movement and walking, while the component 蹣 suggests a dragging or uncoordinated action.

Meanings of 蹣

pán(pan2)
1to stagger, to limp
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 蹣

蹣Simplified
18Strokes
足Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 蹣

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Podcast: 蹣

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AI Study Notes for 蹣

Quick Contrast

踉 (liáng) - use 蹣 when emphasizing unsteady or uneven walking due to injury, while 踉 focuses on stumbling or tripping.

Usage Notes

When using 蹣, it is important to maintain the correct tone as it is pronounced with a rising tone (pán). Common collocations include 蹣跚 (pánshān), which means to stagger or to walk unsteadily. Avoid using it in overly formal contexts, as it is more commonly found in conversational language.

HSK Study Tips

Although 蹣 is not included in the official HSK levels, it relates to movement vocabulary found in HSK 4 and above. Focus on related words like 路 (road) and 行走 (to walk) to better understand contexts in which 蹣 might be used.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 蹣 with similar-looking characters like 盘 (pán), which means 'to plate' or 'to disc'. Remember that 蹣 is specifically related to unsteady walking. Another common mistake is using it in a formal context; it's best suited for conversational language.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 蹣

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Etymology of 蹣

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

foot

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 蹣

  1. 1The meaning half足 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half㒼 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayfoot
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 蹣? 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 蹣?

Decomposition of 蹣

IDS Structure⿰足㒼
蹣Full Character
=
足ju4
left
㒼man2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 蹣?

How to say to stagger, to limp in Chinese

“to stagger, to limp” in Chinese is蹣pán

The character 蹣 (pán) means to stagger or to limp, often referring to a way of walking that is unsteady or uneven. It is commonly used to describe physical movement that is affected by injury, fatigue, or an unstable surface. This term can also convey a sense of struggle or difficulty in movement.

When to use 蹣

When using 蹣, it is important to maintain the correct tone as it is pronounced with a rising tone (pán). Common collocations include 蹣跚 (pánshān), which means to stagger or to walk unsteadily. Avoid using it in overly formal contexts, as it is more commonly found in conversational language.

蹣 or something close to it

踉 (liáng) - use 蹣 when emphasizing unsteady or uneven walking due to injury, while 踉 focuses on stumbling or tripping.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 蹣 with similar-looking characters like 盘 (pán), which means 'to plate' or 'to disc'. Remember that 蹣 is specifically related to unsteady walking. Another common mistake is using it in a formal context; it's best suited for conversational language.

Write 蹣

蹣

Practice writing 蹣 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 蹣

Words Containing This Character2
蹒跚to stagger蹣跚
蹒pánlimp蹣
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 蹒跚 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 蹣

It is pronounced as 'pán' with a rising tone.

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