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颛 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
颛zhuāngood, honest, simple; respectfuln, 15 strokes, radical 页
颛zhuānsurname Zhuanunknown, 15 strokes, radical 页
zhuān(Zhuan1) T1
  1. 1good, honest, simple; respectful
Also a Chinese surname, Zhuan — see the Surname Dictionary
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

颛(顓)zhuān(Zhuan1)

The character 颛 (zhuān) primarily conveys the meanings of being good, honest, and simple. It can also denote respectfulness and is used as a surname in Chinese culture. This character often appears in literary or formal contexts, emphasizing virtues and moral qualities.

Strokes15Radical页
Cultural Note

The character 颛 is often associated with virtues in Chinese philosophy, reflecting the importance of honesty and integrity in personal conduct. It can be found in classical literature that emphasizes moral character.

Memory Tip

Imagine a simple yet respectful person standing tall under a grand roof (the character's structure). The top part (页) represents a roof or cover, while the bottom (专) hints at focused simplicity, reminding you that a good person is straightforward and honest.

Meanings of 颛

zhuān(Zhuan1)
1good, honest, simple; respectful
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 颛

颛Simplified
顓Traditional
15Strokes
页Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 颛

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Podcast: 颛

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AI Study Notes for 颛

Usage Notes

When using 颛, it’s essential to remember that it is more formal and may not be commonly used in everyday conversation. Students should also be cautious not to confuse it with similar-sounding words that have different meanings, such as 专 (zhuān), which means 'specialized.'

HSK Study Tips

While 颛 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, it connects with more general terms related to honesty and simplicity found in HSK Level 3 and above. Students should focus on recognizing its formal usage in texts and literature.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 颛 with 专 (zhuān), which means 'specialized' or 'focused.' An incorrect usage might be saying 颛专 instead of 专心 (zhuān xīn), which means 'to concentrate'.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 颛

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Etymology of 颛

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

head

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 颛

  1. 1The meaning half页 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half耑 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 颛? 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 颛?

Decomposition of 颛

IDS Structure⿰耑页
颛Full Character
=
耑duan1
left
页ye4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 颛?

How to say good, honest, simple; respectful in Chinese

“good, honest, simple; respectful” in Chinese is颛zhuān

The character 颛 (zhuān) primarily conveys the meanings of being good, honest, and simple. It can also denote respectfulness and is used as a surname in Chinese culture. This character often appears in literary or formal contexts, emphasizing virtues and moral qualities.

When to use 颛

When using 颛, it’s essential to remember that it is more formal and may not be commonly used in everyday conversation. Students should also be cautious not to confuse it with similar-sounding words that have different meanings, such as 专 (zhuān), which means 'specialized.'

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 颛 with 专 (zhuān), which means 'specialized' or 'focused.' An incorrect usage might be saying 颛专 instead of 专心 (zhuān xīn), which means 'to concentrate'.

Write 颛

颛

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

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Word Family of 颛

Words Containing This Character2
颛zhuāngood顓
颛顼Zhuan Xu, one of the Five Legendary Emperors 五帝[wǔ​dì], grandson of the Yellow Emperor 黃帝|黄帝[Huáng​dì], trad. reigned 2513-2435 BC顓頊
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 颛 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 颛

颛 is typically used in literary or formal contexts, emphasizing moral qualities rather than in everyday conversation.

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