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顛 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
顛diānpeak, summit, top; to upsetx, 19 strokes, radical 頁
diān(dian1) T1
  1. 1peak, summit, top; to upset
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

顛diān(dian1)

The character 顛 (diān) primarily means 'peak' or 'summit,' referring to the highest point of something, such as a mountain. It can also mean 'to upset' or 'to overturn,' often used in contexts where something is turned upside down or disturbed in its stability.

Strokes19Radical頁
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, mountains are often seen as symbols of stability and strength, and reaching the peak is associated with achieving goals and enlightenment. The concept of 'upsetting' can also relate to philosophical discussions about balance and harmony in life.

Memory Tip

Imagine standing on the top of a mountain (the peak), and as you look down, you accidentally trip and fall over (upset). The character 顛 resembles a person (the radical '山' for mountain) at the summit, while the additional components suggest a sense of instability.

Meanings of 顛

diān(dian1)
1peak, summit, top; to upset
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 顛

顛Simplified
19Strokes
頁Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 顛

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Podcast: 顛

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AI Study Notes for 顛

Quick Contrast

颠 (diān) vs 翻 (fān) — use 顛 when specifically referring to a peak or summit, while 翻 is more about the action of turning over.

Usage Notes

Be cautious with the tone; 顛 (diān) uses the first tone, which can be confused with other similar-sounding words. It is often used in more formal contexts when discussing geography or philosophy. Avoid using this character in everyday conversation unless the context specifically relates to its meanings.

HSK Study Tips

Although 顛 is not included in the official HSK levels, it can be useful to understand alongside characters related to nature and geography. Focus on recognizing the character's radicals and contextual meanings to help with memorization and usage.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 顛 with the character 颠 (diān), which has similar pronunciation but different meanings. Make sure to use 顛 for 'peak' and 'to upset' specifically to avoid misunderstanding.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 顛

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Etymology of 顛

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

Phonosemantic compound. 页 represents the meaning and 真 represents the sound. Simplified form of 顛.

Memory Hint

head

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 顛

Phonosemantic compound. 页 represents the meaning and 真 represents the sound. Simplified form of 顛.

  1. 1The meaning half頁 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half真 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayhead
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 顛? 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 顛?

Decomposition of 顛

IDS Structure⿰真頁
顛Full Character
=
真zhen1
left
頁ye4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 顛?

How to say peak, summit, top; to upset in Chinese

“peak, summit, top; to upset” in Chinese is顛diān

The character 顛 (diān) primarily means 'peak' or 'summit,' referring to the highest point of something, such as a mountain. It can also mean 'to upset' or 'to overturn,' often used in contexts where something is turned upside down or disturbed in its stability.

When to use 顛

Be cautious with the tone; 顛 (diān) uses the first tone, which can be confused with other similar-sounding words. It is often used in more formal contexts when discussing geography or philosophy. Avoid using this character in everyday conversation unless the context specifically relates to its meanings.

顛 or something close to it

颠 (diān) vs 翻 (fān) — use 顛 when specifically referring to a peak or summit, while 翻 is more about the action of turning over.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 顛 with the character 颠 (diān), which has similar pronunciation but different meanings. Make sure to use 顛 for 'peak' and 'to upset' specifically to avoid misunderstanding.

Write 顛

顛

Practice writing 顛 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 顛

Words Containing This Character18
颠diānapex顛
颠倒diāndǎoto reverse顛倒
颠覆diānfùto capsize顛覆
颠簸diānbǒto shake顛簸
不列颠Britain不列顛
大不列颠Great Britain大不列顛
颠倒黑白to misrepresent the facts顛倒黑白
神魂颠倒fascinated神魂顛倒
颠沛流离to drift顛沛流離
颠倒是非to invert right and wrong顛倒是非
颠扑不破solid顛撲不破
颠三倒四confused顛三倒四
颠来倒去to harp on顛來倒去
颠沛destitute顛沛
颠茄deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna)顛茄
颠鸾倒凤to have sexual intercourse顛鸞倒鳳
流离颠沛destitute and homeless (idiom); displaced and without means流離顛沛
跑跑颠颠to work hectically跑跑顛顛
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 颠 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 顛

顛 can mean both 'peak' as in the top of a mountain, and 'to upset' something, indicating a disruption.

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