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癲 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
癲diāncrazy, insane; madness, maniax, 24 strokes, radical 疒
diān(dian1) T1
  1. 1crazy, insane; madness, mania
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

癲diān(dian1)

The character 癲 (diān) means 'crazy' or 'insane,' often used to describe someone who is mentally unstable or exhibiting erratic behavior. It can also refer to a state of mania or madness, conveying a sense of loss of control over one's mind or actions. This character is commonly used in both informal and formal contexts when discussing mental health or extreme behaviors.

Strokes24Radical疒
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, discussions about mental health can be stigmatized, making terms like 癲 particularly sensitive. Historical perspectives on madness often relate to traditional beliefs about harmony and balance, which can impact how mental health is viewed today.

Memory Tip

Imagine a spinning top (the radical 疒, which relates to sickness) that has gone out of control, symbolizing madness. The pronunciation 'diān' sounds like 'dizzy,' which can help you remember that someone who is 癲 might be feeling dizzy or out of their mind.

Meanings of 癲

diān(dian1)
1crazy, insane; madness, mania
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 癲

癲Simplified
24Strokes
疒Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 癲

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Podcast: 癲

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AI Study Notes for 癲

Quick Contrast

狂 (kuáng) - use 癲 (diān) for a sense of mental instability, while 狂 (kuáng) often implies wildness or extreme enthusiasm.

Usage Notes

Be cautious when using 癲 in conversation, as it can be a sensitive topic related to mental health. It is often used in informal contexts, but in formal writing, you might prefer terms like 精神病 (jīngshén bìng) for 'mental illness.' Common collocations include 癲狂 (diānkuáng, 'madness') and 癲痫 (diānxián, 'epilepsy').

HSK Study Tips

While 癲 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, understanding this character can enhance your comprehension of discussions around mental health. It connects with other HSK words about emotions and states of being, so focus on its components and usage in different contexts to build a broader vocabulary.

Common Mistakes

Learners may confuse 癲 with 疯, using them interchangeably. For example, saying '他是癲' (He is crazy) would be incorrect if the context is light-hearted; instead, use '他是疯' (He is silly).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 癲

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Etymology of 癲

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

Phonosemantic compound. 疒 represents the meaning and 颠 represents the sound. Simplified form of 癲.

Memory Hint

sickness

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 癲

Phonosemantic compound. 疒 represents the meaning and 颠 represents the sound. Simplified form of 癲.

  1. 1The meaning half疒 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half顛 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 癲? 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 癲?

Decomposition of 癲

IDS Structure⿸疒顛
癲Full Character
=
疒ne4
enclosing
顛dian1
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 癲?

How to say crazy, insane; madness, mania in Chinese

“crazy, insane; madness, mania” in Chinese is癲diān

The character 癲 (diān) means 'crazy' or 'insane,' often used to describe someone who is mentally unstable or exhibiting erratic behavior. It can also refer to a state of mania or madness, conveying a sense of loss of control over one's mind or actions. This character is commonly used in both informal and formal contexts when discussing mental health or extreme behaviors.

When to use 癲

Be cautious when using 癲 in conversation, as it can be a sensitive topic related to mental health. It is often used in informal contexts, but in formal writing, you might prefer terms like 精神病 (jīngshén bìng) for 'mental illness.' Common collocations include 癲狂 (diānkuáng, 'madness') and 癲痫 (diānxián, 'epilepsy').

癲 or something close to it

狂 (kuáng) - use 癲 (diān) for a sense of mental instability, while 狂 (kuáng) often implies wildness or extreme enthusiasm.

What learners get wrong

Learners may confuse 癲 with 疯, using them interchangeably. For example, saying '他是癲' (He is crazy) would be incorrect if the context is light-hearted; instead, use '他是疯' (He is silly).

Write 癲

癲

Practice writing 癲 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 癲

Words Containing This Character5
癫痫epilepsy癲癇
癫diāncrazy癲
疯癫insane瘋癲
疯疯癫癫deranged瘋瘋癲癲
癫狂mad癲狂
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 癫痫 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 癲

Generally, 癲 is more common in informal settings. For formal discussions about mental health, consider using 精神病.

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