擅
Character learning workspace

shàn · to claim, to monopolize

Master the form, understand its parts, and learn how it behaves in real Chinese.

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Learn every stroke in 擅

Replay the complete order, pause on difficult movements, inspect one stroke at a time, then write it yourself with live correction.

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Stroke graphics: Make Me a Hanzi / Arphic Public License
Step-by-step explorer

See how 擅 is constructed

Switch between the accumulated form and the isolated movement of each stroke.

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Character anatomy

Understand the reusable parts

The decomposition shows how the visual pieces fit together, not necessarily the character’s historical origin.

Writing notes

Shape and proportion

16Total strokes

Count each continuous pen movement once, including turns and hooks.

Left-rightCharacter structure

Keep the left side compact and leave enough room for the right side.

扌Key radical

Use the highlighted radical in the animation as a visual anchor for remembering the form.

Print and practise

Download a 擅 writing sheet

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Includes the stroke sequence, progressive tracing, and blank writing squares. Generated locally in your browser.

Vocabulary in context

Common words with 擅

Open a word for its full breakdown, or listen before reading the meaning.

Read and listen

Example sentences

Notice where 擅 sits in each complete thought.

Zhè bú shì wǒ suǒ shàn cháng de shì.这不是我所擅长的事。

It's not something that I'm very good at.

Source: Tatoeba #2007034 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ kàn nǐ shàn cháng zuò zhè shì.我看你擅长做这事。

I can see you're good at this.

Source: Tatoeba #5658823 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ shí zài bú shàn cháng zhège.我实在不擅长这个。

I'm really bad at this.

Source: Tatoeba #8463689 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ bú shàn cháng huà huà, dàn wǒ huì xiě wén zhāng.我不擅长画画,但我会写文章。

I'm not good at drawing, but I can write.

Source: Tatoeba #9987059 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Tā bú shàn cháng shuō huà.她不擅长说话。

She is not very good with words.

Source: Tatoeba #12422351 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ bú shàn cháng zuò fàn.我不擅长做饭。

I'm not good at cooking.

Source: Tatoeba #9989858 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Turn reference into recall

How to study 擅 in context

  1. Say shàn, then recall the core meaning: to claim, to monopolize.
  2. Write all 16 strokes while keeping the left-right balanced.
  3. Use it in 擅长 (shàn cháng), meaning “to be good at”.
  4. Read the complete sentence aloud once, then cover the translation and explain how 擅 works in that context.

Definitions and traditional forms are compiled from Make Me a Hanzi, HSK curriculum data, and CC-CEDICT. Sourced example sentences link to Tatoeba; editorial examples are labeled separately. Review data sources and licenses.