Learn a Chinese Character - 寒 (Hán - Cold; chilly; frigid)

1. Character Basics

Radical: 宀/mián (roof) or 冫/liǎng diǎn shuǐ (ice radical)

Stroke Count: 12 strokes

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: Hán (Second tone)

3. Meaning

Basic meaning: Cold; chilly; frigid

Extended meaning: Poverty-stricken; poor; miserable

Additional meaning: Used to describe cold temperature or feeling cold

4. Common Words

• 寒冷 (hán lěng): Cold; chilly

  Example: 冬天非常寒冷。 (Winter is very cold.)

• 寒假 (hán jià): Winter vacation

  Example: 我们正在放寒假。 (We are having winter vacation.)

• 寒流 (hán liú): Cold current; cold wave

  Example: 一股寒流正在逼近。 (A cold wave is approaching.)

• 寒风 (hán fēng): Cold wind

  Example: 寒风刺骨。 (The cold wind is piercing.)

• 寒心 (hán xīn): To be disappointed; to feel cold at heart

  Example: 他的话让我寒心。 (His words made me feel cold at heart.)

5. Grammar & Usage

Usage as an adjective: Describes low temperature or feeling cold.

Common structures:

• 寒+名词: Describes something related to cold (e.g., 寒冷 hán lěng - cold, 寒风 hán fēng - cold wind)
• 名词+寒: Indicates coldness in a specific context (e.g., 冬天寒 dōng tiān hán - winter is cold, 天气寒 tiān qì hán - the weather is cold)

Usage notes: Often used to describe weather, temperature, or psychological feelings of coldness or disappointment.

6. Cultural Background

In Chinese culture, the character "寒" is closely related to winter and is often found in poems describing seasons.

It is also used to describe poor or difficult living conditions.

Related idioms include "寒冬腊月" (bitter cold winter months) and "寒风刺骨" (the cold wind is piercing).

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

1. Structure memory: The upper part is "宀" (mián - roof), the middle is "二" (èr - two), the lower parts are "糸" (mì - silk), "人" (rén - person), and "又" (yòu - again).
2. Association memory: Imagine a person in a house with ice below, feeling cold.
3. Context memory: Use words like "寒冷" (cold) and "寒假" (winter vacation) in sentences.
4. Contrast memory: Contrast with "热" (rè - hot) to form a pair of antonyms.
5. Repetitive writing: Practice writing according to the correct stroke order.