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坌 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
坌bèndust; earth; river bank; to dig; to uniteg, 7 strokes, radical 土
坌bènold variant of 笨[ben4]unknown, 7 strokes, radical 土
bèn(ben4) T4
  1. 1dust; earth; river bank; to dig; to unite
  2. 2old variant of 笨[ben4]
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March 24, 2026

坌bèn(ben4)

The character 坌 (bèn) primarily refers to 'earth' or 'dust,' often associated with the ground or river banks. It can also imply actions related to digging or uniting, but these uses are less common. The character conveys a sense of solidity and earthiness, making it relevant in contexts involving nature or construction.

Strokes7Radical土
Cultural Note

In traditional agriculture, the concept of earth (like that represented by 坌) is vital, as it signifies fertility and the foundation of crops. This connection to the land is deeply rooted in Chinese culture and reflects the importance of agriculture.

Memory Tip

Imagine a big pile of DUST (the meaning of 坌), and picture a BENT (bèn) tree growing out of it, rooting deeply into the earth. The character 坌 has a '土' (earth) radical at the bottom, which helps connect it to its meaning related to the ground.

Meanings of 坌

bèn(ben4)
1dust; earth; river bank; to dig; to unite
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 坌

坌Simplified
7Strokes
土Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 坌

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Podcast: 坌

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AI Study Notes for 坌

Usage Notes

This character is rarely used in modern Mandarin, and learners might confuse it with its more common counterparts like 笨 (bèn), which means 'clumsy' or 'stupid.' It's important to pay attention to context and tone when using similar-sounding characters.

HSK Study Tips

Although 坌 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, understanding it can enhance your grasp of characters related to earth and nature. Focus on the radicals, especially 土, to help recognize patterns in other related characters.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 坌 with 笨 due to similar pronunciation, leading to misunderstandings. For example, saying '他很坌' (tā hěn bèn) instead of '他很笨' (tā hěn bèn) can change the intended meaning entirely from 'He is very clumsy' to an incorrect usage of the word for 'dust.'

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 坌

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Etymology of 坌

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

earth

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 坌

  1. 1The meaning half土 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half分 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayearth
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 坌? 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 坌?

Decomposition of 坌

IDS Structure⿱分土
坌Full Character
=
分fen1
top
土Tu3
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 坌?

How to say dust; earth; river bank; to dig; to unite in Chinese

“dust; earth; river bank; to dig; to unite” in Chinese is坌bèn

The character 坌 (bèn) primarily refers to 'earth' or 'dust,' often associated with the ground or river banks. It can also imply actions related to digging or uniting, but these uses are less common. The character conveys a sense of solidity and earthiness, making it relevant in contexts involving nature or construction.

When to use 坌

This character is rarely used in modern Mandarin, and learners might confuse it with its more common counterparts like 笨 (bèn), which means 'clumsy' or 'stupid.' It's important to pay attention to context and tone when using similar-sounding characters.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 坌 with 笨 due to similar pronunciation, leading to misunderstandings. For example, saying '他很坌' (tā hěn bèn) instead of '他很笨' (tā hěn bèn) can change the intended meaning entirely from 'He is very clumsy' to an incorrect usage of the word for 'dust.'

Write 坌

坌

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

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Word Family of 坌

Words Containing This Character1
坌bèndust
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 坌 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 坌

No, 坌 is quite rare in modern Mandarin and is mainly found in literature or historical texts.

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