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颭 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
颭zhǎnto sway in the windzg, 14 strokes, radical 風
zhǎn(zhan3) T3
  1. 1to sway in the wind
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

颭zhǎn(zhan3)

The character 颭 (zhǎn) means 'to sway in the wind.' It is often used to describe the gentle movement of objects like trees or flags when influenced by the wind. This term evokes a sense of lightness and fluidity, commonly used in poetic or descriptive contexts.

Strokes14Radical風
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese poetry, the imagery of swaying trees or flags symbolizes the transient nature of life and beauty. This character can bring to mind scenes from classical literature where nature plays a significant role.

Memory Tip

Think of a flag (the top part of 颭) fluttering and swaying in a breeze. The character's left side suggests movement, while the right side, resembling a flag, helps you remember the idea of swaying in the wind.

Meanings of 颭

zhǎn(zhan3)
1to sway in the wind
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 颭

颭Simplified
14Strokes
風Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 颭

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Podcast: 颭

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AI Study Notes for 颭

Usage Notes

While 颭 is not frequently used in everyday conversation, it is more common in literary contexts. Be cautious not to confuse it with similar-sounding words like '展' (zhǎn), which means 'to open' or 'to exhibit.' Always pay attention to the tone when pronouncing it.

HSK Study Tips

As 颭 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, learners should focus on similar characters that describe movement or natural phenomena. Connecting it with related terms can deepen understanding of descriptive language in Chinese.

Common Mistakes

Learners may confuse 颭 with similar characters like '展' (zhǎn), leading to incorrect meanings. Remember that 颭 specifically refers to swaying, whereas '展' involves the notion of opening.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 颭

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Etymology of 颭

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

wind

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 颭

  1. 1The meaning half風 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half占 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaywind
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 颭? 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 颭?

Decomposition of 颭

IDS Structure⿺風占
颭Full Character
=
風feng1
enclosing
占zhan1
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 颭?

How to say to sway in the wind in Chinese

“to sway in the wind” in Chinese is颭zhǎn

The character 颭 (zhǎn) means 'to sway in the wind.' It is often used to describe the gentle movement of objects like trees or flags when influenced by the wind. This term evokes a sense of lightness and fluidity, commonly used in poetic or descriptive contexts.

When to use 颭

While 颭 is not frequently used in everyday conversation, it is more common in literary contexts. Be cautious not to confuse it with similar-sounding words like '展' (zhǎn), which means 'to open' or 'to exhibit.' Always pay attention to the tone when pronouncing it.

What learners get wrong

Learners may confuse 颭 with similar characters like '展' (zhǎn), leading to incorrect meanings. Remember that 颭 specifically refers to swaying, whereas '展' involves the notion of opening.

Write 颭

颭

Practice writing 颭 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 颭

Words Containing This Character1
飐zhǎnto sway in the wind颭
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 飐 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 颭

It is pronounced zhǎn, with the third tone, which has a falling and rising intonation.

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