杆
Character learning workspace

gān / gǎn · cane, pole, stick

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

HSK 3.0 · Level 7-9Frequency #2562
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Learn every stroke in 杆

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
Sound changes meaning

Readings & meanings

杆 has 2 dictionary pronunciations. The examples show how each reading behaves in real words.

gān

pole

栏杆lán gān · railing
gǎn

stick; pole; lever

杠杆gàng gǎn · lever
Step-by-step explorer

See how 杆 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

7Total 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.

木Key radical

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

Print and practise

Download a 杆 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 杆

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

gǎnstick; pole; lever
gānpole
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Example sentences

Notice where 杆 sits in each complete thought.

Qiānggǎnzi lǐ miàn chū zhèng quán.枪杆子里面出政权。

Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.

Source: Tatoeba #13042874 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ mén de lán gān shì tiě zuò de.我們的欄杆是鐵做的。

Our fence is made of iron.

Source: Tatoeba #5505592 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Tā de dān jū zhuàng shàng le lán gān.他的單車撞上了欄杆。

His bike ran into a guard-rail.

Source: Tatoeba #346695 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Tā zài lán gān zhī hòu.他在欄杆之後。

He is behind the railing.

Source: Tatoeba #5505593 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Nà shì gè jiān gù de lán gān.那是個堅固的欄杆。

This is a sturdy handrail.

Source: Tatoeba #5505594 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Hěn duō rén tiào guò lán gān, huán diū lā jī.很多人跳過欄杆,還丟垃圾。

A lot of people climb the railing, and even litter.

Source: Tatoeba #5505598 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Turn reference into recall

How to study 杆 in context

  1. Say gān / gǎn, then recall the core meaning: cane, pole, stick.
  2. Write all 7 strokes while keeping the left-right balanced.
  3. Use it in 杠杆 (gàng gǎn), meaning “lever”.
  4. Read the complete sentence aloud once, then cover the translation and explain how 杆 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.