Chinese Character: 懒
1. Character Basics
Radical: 忄 (heart radical)
Stroke Count: 16
Stroke Order:
2. Pronunciation
Pinyin: lǎn (Third tone)
3. Meaning
Lazy; indolent; idle; sluggish; slow-moving
4. Common Words
- 懒惰 (lǎnduò) - lazy; indolent; slothful
- 懒散 (lǎnsǎn) - lazy; slovenly; inactive
- 偷懒 (tōulǎn) - to be lazy; to shirk work; to loaf on the job
- 懒人 (lǎnrén) - lazy person; idler
- 懒腰 (lǎnyāo) - to stretch oneself; to stretch (one's body)
- 懒虫 (lǎnchóng) - lazybones; lazy person
- 懒汉 (lǎnhàn) - lazy person; idler; sluggard
- 懒政 (lǎnzhèng) - lazy governance; administrative inaction
5. Grammar & Usage
The character "懒" is primarily used as an adjective to describe people or behavior that is lazy or inactive. It can also be used in compound verbs to express the act of being lazy.
Grammar Patterns:
- 懒+惰: 懒惰 (lazy; indolent)
- 懒+散: 懒散 (lazy; inactive)
- 偷+懒: 偷懒 (to be lazy; to shirk work)
- 懒+人: 懒人 (lazy person; idler)
- 懒+腰: 懒腰 (to stretch oneself)
- 懒+虫: 懒虫 (lazybones)
- 懒+汉: 懒汉 (lazy person; sluggard)
- 懒+政: 懒政 (lazy governance)
6. Cultural Background
The character "懒" has important cultural connotations in Chinese society, which traditionally places a high value on diligence and hard work.
In Chinese culture, laziness is generally viewed negatively and is often contrasted with the virtues of diligence and perseverance. This is reflected in many Chinese proverbs and sayings, such as "业精于勤，荒于嬉" (Success comes from diligence, and is wasted by play).
The concept of laziness is often associated with a lack of self-discipline and responsibility, which are considered important qualities in Chinese culture.
The character's structure, with "忄" (heart radical) on the left and "赖" (to depend on) on the right, suggests that laziness is related to a mental state or attitude of depending on others rather than taking initiative.
7. Example Sentence
中文: 他太懒了，连自己的房间都不打扫。
Pinyin: Tā tài lǎn le, lián zìjǐ de fángjiān dōu bù dǎsǎo.
English: He is so lazy that he doesn't even clean his own room.
8. Memory Tips
The character "懒" (lǎn) consists of two parts:
- The radical "忄" (heart radical) on the left, indicating that the meaning is related to emotions or mental states
- The component "赖" (lài, to depend on) on the right, which provides the pronunciation
To remember the character, think of it as "a mental state (忄) of depending on others (赖) rather than taking initiative".
Associate the character with common words like "懒惰" (lǎnduò, lazy) and the concept of not wanting to work or exert effort.
Visualize a person who is lying in bed or sitting around doing nothing, which helps connect the character's appearance to its meaning.
Break down the character into its components and practice writing it to reinforce your memory of its structure and stroke count.