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瘅 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
瘅dānbitter hatred; droughtx, 13 strokes, radical 疒
瘅dān(disease)unknown, 13 strokes, radical 疒
瘅dānto hateunknown, 13 strokes, radical 疒
瘅dànbitter hatred; droughtx, 13 strokes, radical 疒
瘅dàn(disease)unknown, 13 strokes, radical 疒
瘅dànto hateunknown, 13 strokes, radical 疒
dān(dan1)
primary
T1
  1. 1bitter hatred; drought
  2. 2(disease)
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

瘅(癉)dān(dan1)

The character 瘅 (dān) primarily denotes a sense of bitter hatred or intense dislike. It can also refer to drought conditions or be associated with certain diseases. In usage, it often conveys strong negative emotions, particularly in literary contexts.

Strokes13Radical疒
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese medicine, the concept of diseases caused by 'bitter hatred' is acknowledged, reflecting the cultural belief in the connection between emotions and physical health.

Memory Tip

Imagine a dry riverbed during a drought, which represents 'drought' and evokes feelings of bitterness and hatred for the lack of water. The character 瘅 has a radical that resembles a person suffering ('病' or 'disease') under harsh conditions, connecting the visual form to its meaning.

Meanings of 瘅

dān(dan1)
primary
1bitter hatred; drought
2(disease)
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 瘅

瘅Simplified
癉Traditional
13Strokes
疒Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 瘅

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Podcast: 瘅

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 瘅

Usage Notes

Be cautious with the tone, as 'dān' is pronounced with a high-level tone, which can be confused with other similar-sounding words. It's primarily used in written or formal contexts rather than in everyday conversation. Common collocations include phrases related to disease and strong emotions.

HSK Study Tips

While 瘅 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it relates to higher-level themes of emotions and health, which are explored in later HSK levels. Students should focus on recognizing it in literary texts and understanding its emotional nuances.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 瘅 with similar-sounding characters, leading to incorrect usage in context. For instance, using it in a light-hearted context would be inappropriate; it should only be used when discussing serious emotions or conditions.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 瘅

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Etymology of 瘅

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

sickness

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 瘅

  1. 1The meaning half疒 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half单 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 瘅? 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 瘅?

Decomposition of 瘅

IDS Structure⿸疒单
瘅Full Character
=
疒ne4
enclosing
单dan1
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 瘅?

How to say bitter hatred; drought in Chinese

“bitter hatred; drought” in Chinese is瘅dān

The character 瘅 (dān) primarily denotes a sense of bitter hatred or intense dislike. It can also refer to drought conditions or be associated with certain diseases. In usage, it often conveys strong negative emotions, particularly in literary contexts.

When to use 瘅

Be cautious with the tone, as 'dān' is pronounced with a high-level tone, which can be confused with other similar-sounding words. It's primarily used in written or formal contexts rather than in everyday conversation. Common collocations include phrases related to disease and strong emotions.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 瘅 with similar-sounding characters, leading to incorrect usage in context. For instance, using it in a light-hearted context would be inappropriate; it should only be used when discussing serious emotions or conditions.

Write 瘅

瘅

Practice writing 瘅 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 瘅

Words Containing This Character2
瘅dān(disease)癉
彰善瘅恶to praise good and expose vice彰善癉惡
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 瘅 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 瘅

瘅 conveys a deeper, more intense form of hatred, often with a bitter connotation, unlike the more general characters for hate.

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