探
Character learning workspace

tàn · to find, to locate

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

HSK 3.0 · Level 7-9Frequency #2298
Watch · inspect · write

Learn every stroke in 探

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 探 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

11Total 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 探 writing sheet

Get a ready-to-use A4 sheet immediately, or open the full builder to change its grid and guidance.

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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 探

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

tànWords pronounced tàn
tanWords pronounced tan
Read and listen

Example sentences

Notice where 探 sits in each complete thought.

Tā tàn suǒ yí qiè táo zǒu de kě néng xìng.他探索一切逃走的可能性。

He is exploring the possibility of all escapes.

Source: Tatoeba #763919 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Tāng mǔ zài shì tàn wǒ.汤姆在试探我。

Tom is testing me.

Source: Tatoeba #8496242 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Xué shēng men zài tàn tǎo yǔ yán hé wén huà.学生们在探讨语言和文化。

The students are talking about language and culture.

Source: Tatoeba #1746196 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Zhè cái shì wǒ mén gāi tàn jiū de.這才是我們該探究的。

That's what we intend to find out.

Source: Tatoeba #13118949 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Tā tàn wàng le tā zài jiān yù lǐ de zhàngfu.她探望了她在監獄裡的丈夫。

She visited her husband in prison.

Source: Tatoeba #862875 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ men zài tàn xiǎn de shí hòu yù dào le hěn duō kùn nán.我们在探险的时候遇到了很多困难。

We encountered a lot of difficulties on the expedition.

Source: Tatoeba #9007539 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Turn reference into recall

How to study 探 in context

  1. Say tàn, then recall the core meaning: to find, to locate.
  2. Write all 11 strokes while keeping the left-right balanced.
  3. Use it in 探索 (tàn suǒ), meaning “to explore”.
  4. Read the complete sentence aloud once, then cover the translation and explain how 探 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.