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纏 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
纏chánto wrap, to entangle; to involve; to bother, to annoyx, 21 strokes, radical 糹
chán(chan2)chan T2
  1. 1to wrap, to entangle; to involve; to bother, to annoy
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March 24, 2026

纏chán(chan2)

The character 纏 (chán) means to wrap or entangle something, often implying a sense of involvement or being caught up in a situation. It can also carry a connotation of bothering or annoying someone, suggesting a persistent or nagging quality in the action described. This word is commonly used in both physical and metaphorical contexts.

Strokes21Radical糹
Cultural note

In traditional Chinese medicine, the concept of being 'entangled' can refer to emotional or physical blockages, often represented by the term 纏繞 (chán rào). This word is sometimes used in discussions about personal relationships, where one person may feel 'wrapped up' in another's problems.

Memory tip

Imagine wrapping a long, tangled piece of yarn around your finger, making it difficult to free yourself. The character 纏 resembles a knot (the top part) entangling the yarn (the bottom part), and the 'ch' sound can remind you of 'catching' or 'clinging' onto something tightly.

Meanings of 纏

chán(chan2)
1to wrap, to entangle; to involve; to bother, to annoy
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 纏

纏Simplified
21Strokes
糹Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 纏

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Podcast: 纏

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AI Study Notes for 纏

Quick Contrast

缠 (chán) vs 绑 (bǎng): Use 纏 (chán) when emphasizing involvement or annoyance, while 绑 (bǎng) focuses solely on the act of tying or binding without the additional connotations.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 纏 with similar characters like 繞 (rào), which means to circle around. This character is more informal and can be used in everyday conversation, but be cautious when using it in formal writing. Common collocations include 纏鬧 (chán nào), meaning to annoy someone persistently.

HSK Study Tips

Although 纏 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, it shares components with other characters related to textiles, such as 織 (zhī, to weave). Students should focus on recognizing the radical 纟, which indicates a connection to threads or fabrics, as it appears in various related words.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 纏 with 穿 (chuān), which means to wear, leading to incorrect sentences like '我纏衣服' instead of '我穿衣服' (I wear clothes). Always remember that 纏 is about wrapping or entangling, not wearing.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 纏

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Etymology of 纏

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

thread

Semantic (meaning)糹
+
Phonetic (sound)廛
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

纏 = 糹 + 廛. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 纏

IDS Structure⿰糹廛
纏Full character
=
糹si1
left
廛chan2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 纏?

How to say to wrap, to entangle; to involve; to bother, to annoy in Chinese

“to wrap, to entangle; to involve; to bother, to annoy” in Chinese is纏chán

The character 纏 (chán) means to wrap or entangle something, often implying a sense of involvement or being caught up in a situation. It can also carry a connotation of bothering or annoying someone, suggesting a persistent or nagging quality in the action described. This word is commonly used in both physical and metaphorical contexts.

When to use 纏

Be careful not to confuse 纏 with similar characters like 繞 (rào), which means to circle around. This character is more informal and can be used in everyday conversation, but be cautious when using it in formal writing. Common collocations include 纏鬧 (chán nào), meaning to annoy someone persistently.

纏 or something close to it

缠 (chán) vs 绑 (bǎng): Use 纏 (chán) when emphasizing involvement or annoyance, while 绑 (bǎng) focuses solely on the act of tying or binding without the additional connotations.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 纏 with 穿 (chuān), which means to wear, leading to incorrect sentences like '我纏衣服' instead of '我穿衣服' (I wear clothes). Always remember that 纏 is about wrapping or entangling, not wearing.

Write 纏

纏

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

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Word Family of 纏

Words containing this character20
缠chánto coil纏
纠缠jiūchánto nag糾纏
缠绕chánràotwisting纏繞
缠绵touching (emotions)纏綿
缠身to preoccupy sb纏身
难缠demanding難纏
纠缠不清hopelessly muddled糾纏不清
腰缠万贯loaded腰纏萬貫
胡搅蛮缠to pester endlessly (idiom)胡攪蠻纏
盘缠to twine盤纏
缠绵悱恻very sentimental纏綿悱惻
缠足foot-binding纏足
蛮缠to pester蠻纏
牵缠to involve牽纏
胡缠to pester胡纏
缠扰to harass纏擾
缠手troublesome纏手
缠夹不清to muddle things together (idiom)纏夾不清
缠夹to annoy纏夾
厮缠to tangle with廝纏
Exercise 1 of 4

Characters with 纏

What does 缠 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 纏

You might encounter phrases like 纏鬧 (to annoy) or 纏繞 (to entangle).

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