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篮 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
篮lánbasketn, 16 strokes, radical ⺮, rank #5662, Hard
篮lángoaln, 16 strokes, radical ⺮, rank #5662, Hard
lán(lan2) T2
  1. 1basket
  2. 2goal
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
篮(籃)lán(lan2)

The character 篮 (lán) primarily means 'basket' and is often used in contexts involving sports, especially basketball. It can also refer to a goal in various sports, indicating the target area where points are scored.

Strokes16Radical⺮Frequency#5662DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

Basketball is immensely popular in China, with the NBA having a significant following. The term 篮 is often encountered in discussions about basketball, showcasing the sport's cultural integration into Chinese society.

Memory Tip

Imagine a round, woven basket (篮) filled with colorful balls. The shape of the character resembles the circular form of a basket, while the sound 'lán' can be remembered by thinking of 'land' where the basket rests.

Meanings of 篮

lán(lan2)
1basket
2goal
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 篮

篮Simplified
籃Traditional
16Strokes
⺮Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#5662Frequency Rank

Podcast: 篮

JasonAmy

Podcast: 篮

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 篮

Quick Contrast

篮 (lán) vs 桶 (tǒng) — use 篮 when specifically referring to a basket, especially in sports, while 桶 refers to a barrel or container.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a round, woven basket (篮) filled with colorful balls. The shape of the character resembles the circular form of a basket, while the sound 'lán' can be remembered by thinking of 'land' where the basket rests.

Usage Notes

This term is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts, especially in sports discussions. A common mistake is confusing it with other similar-sounding words, so pay attention to pronunciation. It often collocates with '球' (qiú, ball) as in '篮球' (basketball).

HSK Study Tips

Although 篮 is not specifically listed in the official HSK levels, it is useful for learners aiming to discuss sports or leisure activities. Focus on its application with related sports vocabulary to enhance contextual understanding.

Cultural Note

Basketball is immensely popular in China, with the NBA having a significant following. The term 篮 is often encountered in discussions about basketball, showcasing the sport's cultural integration into Chinese society.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 篮 (lán) with other similar characters like 蓝 (lán, blue). Remember that 篮 specifically relates to a basket or goal. A wrong example would be saying '我喜欢蓝球' (I like blue ball) instead of '我喜欢篮球' (I like basketball).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 篮

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Etymology of 篮

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

Phonosemantic compound. ⺮ represents the meaning and 监 represents the sound. Simplified form of 籃.

Memory Hint

bamboo

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

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 篮?

Decomposition of 篮

IDS Structure⿱⺮监
篮Full Character
=
⺮zhu2
top
监jian1
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 篮?

Write 篮

篮

Practice writing 篮 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 篮

篮 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 2 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons6
Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

他喜欢____球、足球、游泳等等。

He likes basketball, soccer, swimming, etc.

Example Sentences for 篮 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
瓦莱丽在排球、篮球和曲棍球三个项目上获得了佩戴校名首字母标志的荣誉。

wǎ lái lì zài pái qiú、 、 lán qiú hé qū gùn qiú sān gè xiàng mù shàng huò dé le pèi dài xiào míng shǒu zì mǔ biāo zhì de róng。

Valerie earned letters in three sports: volleyball, basketball, and field hockey.
2
我匆忙装好食品篮，吃力地把它拎上车子。

wǒ cōng máng zhuāng hǎo shí pǐn lán， ， chī lì dì bǎ tā līn shàng chē。

I hastily packed the hamper and lugged it to the car.
3
他看到那只狗一抽一抽的鼻子从篮子里冒出来。

tā kàn dào nà zhī gǒu yī chōu yī chōu de bí zǐ cóng lán zǐ lǐ mào chū lái。

He saw the dog's twitching nose poke out of the basket.
4
他会把自己的脏衣服扔进洗衣篮里。

tā huì bǎ zì jǐ de zāng yī fú rēng jìn xǐ yī lán lǐ。

He'd put his dirty laundry in the clothes basket.
5
她把鸡蛋轻轻地放在吉姆篮子里的稻草上。

tā bǎ jī dàn qīng qīng dì fàng zài jí mǔ lán zǐ lǐ de dào cǎo shàng。

She nestled the eggs safely in the straw in Jim's basket.
6
小贩们把他们的商品摆放在篮子里或地上。

xiǎo fàn mén bǎ tā mén de shāng pǐn bǎi fàng zài lán zǐ lǐ huò dì shàng。

Vendors displayed their wares in baskets or on the ground.
7
大木篮子可以用来装玩具。

dà mù lán zǐ kě yǐ yòng lái zhuāng wán jù。

The large log basket can be used to tidy toys away.
8
安娜和罗斯玛丽来时提着很多的大包小包和装了食物的篮子。

ān nà hé luó sī mǎ lì lái shí tí zháo hěn duō de dà bāo xiǎo bāo hé zhuāng le shí wù de lán zǐ。

Anna and Rosemary arrived burdened by bags and food baskets.
9
有谁听说过篮球运动员不需要跳跃的吗？

yǒu shuí tīng shuō guò lán qiú yùn dòng yuán bù xū yào tiào yuè de ma？

Whoever heard of a basketball player who doesn't need to jump?
10
我不知道这场篮球赛谁会上场.

wǒ bù zhī dào zhè cháng lán qiú sài shuí huì shàng cháng.

I don't know (wonder) who will play in the basketball match.

Cultural Notes for 篮

🏮Cultural insight

Basketball is immensely popular in China, with the NBA having a significant following. The term 篮 is often encountered in discussions about basketball, showcasing the sport's cultural integration into Chinese society.

Word Family of 篮

Words Containing This Character16
篮球lánqiúbasketball籃球
篮lánbasket (receptacle)籃
篮板backboard籃板
投篮to shoot for the basket (basketball)投籃
男篮men's basketball男籃
篮子basket籃子
摇篮yáoláncradle搖籃
扣篮slam dunk扣籃
篮球场basketball court籃球場
篮板球rebound (basketball)籃板球
摇篮曲lullaby搖籃曲
篮筐basket籃筐
菜篮子vegetable or food basket菜籃子
竹篮wicker basket竹籃
提篮a basket提籃
竹篮打水using a wicker basket to draw water (idiom); wasted effort竹籃打水
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 篮球 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 篮

The pronunciation is 'lán' with a rising tone, similar to the English word 'land' but ending with a soft 'n'.