Mandarin TempleMandarin Temple Beta Come for Knowledge. Stay for Wisdom.
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
颔 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
颔hànchin, jowl; to nodzg, 13 strokes, radical 页, rank #57901, Very Hard
颔hànto nod (one's assent)unknown, 13 strokes, radical 页, rank #57901, Very Hard
hàn(han4) T4
  1. 1chin, jowl; to nod
  2. 2to nod (one's assent)
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

颔(頷)hàn(han4)

The character 颔 (hàn) primarily refers to the chin or jowl area of the face. It is also used in the context of nodding, particularly as a gesture of agreement or assent. This character often appears in literary or formal contexts, emphasizing a dignified or respectful nod.

Strokes13Radical页Frequency#57901DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, nodding (颔首) is often seen as a sign of respect and attentiveness, especially in formal settings such as tea ceremonies or when receiving elders.

Memory Tip

Imagine a 'hand' (sounds like 'hàn') gently cradling a 'chin' while nodding in agreement. The radical 口 (kǒu) suggests a mouth, connecting to the idea of expressing agreement verbally or non-verbally.

Meanings of 颔

hàn(han4)
1chin, jowl; to nod
2to nod (one's assent)
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 颔

颔Simplified
頷Traditional
13Strokes
页Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 颔

JasonAmy

Podcast: 颔

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 颔

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 颔 with similar characters that refer to the mouth or face, such as 嘴 (zuǐ) for 'mouth.' The usage is more formal than conversational. Common collocations include 颔首 (hàn shǒu), meaning to nod one's head.

HSK Study Tips

Although 颔 is not included in HSK levels, it is beneficial for learners to recognize its connections with body parts and gestures of agreement found in everyday vocabulary. Focus on how this character relates to expressions of agreement in Chinese culture.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly pronounce 颔 as 'hàn' when they should say 'hàn' with the correct falling tone. Another common error is confusing it with 颈 (jǐng), which means 'neck'. Remember, 颔 specifically refers to the chin.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 颔

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 颔 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Etymology of 颔

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

Phonosemantic compound. 页 represents the meaning and 含 represents the sound. Simplified form of 頷.

Memory Hint

head

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 颔

Phonosemantic compound. 页 represents the meaning and 含 represents the sound. Simplified form of 頷.

  1. 1The meaning half页 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half含 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayhead
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 颔? 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 颔?

Decomposition of 颔

IDS Structure⿰含页
颔Full Character
=
含han2
left
页ye4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 颔?

How to say chin, jowl; to nod in Chinese

“chin, jowl; to nod” in Chinese is颔hàn

The character 颔 (hàn) primarily refers to the chin or jowl area of the face. It is also used in the context of nodding, particularly as a gesture of agreement or assent. This character often appears in literary or formal contexts, emphasizing a dignified or respectful nod.

When to use 颔

Be careful not to confuse 颔 with similar characters that refer to the mouth or face, such as 嘴 (zuǐ) for 'mouth.' The usage is more formal than conversational. Common collocations include 颔首 (hàn shǒu), meaning to nod one's head.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mistakenly pronounce 颔 as 'hàn' when they should say 'hàn' with the correct falling tone. Another common error is confusing it with 颈 (jǐng), which means 'neck'. Remember, 颔 specifically refers to the chin.

Write 颔

颔

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 颔

颔 carries 2 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.

Exercise 1 of 1

Complete the Sentence

他们追逐的主要对象是野马, 当时一种有____毛的小型矮种马.

Their chief pursuit was the wild horse, the little bearded pony of that time.

Example Sentences for 颔 (1)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
他们追逐的主要对象是野马, 当时一种有颔毛的小型矮种马.

tā mén zhuī zhú de zhǔ yào duì xiàng shì yě mǎ, , dāng shí yī zhǒng yǒu hàn máo de xiǎo xíng ǎi zhǒng.

Their chief pursuit was the wild horse, the little bearded pony of that time.

Word Family of 颔

Words Containing This Character2
颔hànchin頷
颔首to nod one's head頷首
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 颔 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 颔

It is not commonly used in casual speech, but you might encounter it in literary texts or formal discussions.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 颔?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.