叹 (tàn) - Meaning, Stroke Order & Audio

叹

tàn[tan4]Tone 4

to sigh, to exclaim

HSK 6

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嘆

Multiple Readings (多音字):

Guru Deep Dive

English · to sigh, to exclaim

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Topology:Left-right

Strokes:5

Writing Balance Rule: Keep the left component (mouth) compact and positioned slightly higher, while the right component stretches downwards to balance the overall width.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 嘆 uses 堇 on the right, which was simplified to 又 in the modern character 叹 to reduce stroke complexity.

1. Meaning

to sigh

to exclaimto admire

VerbNeutral#emotion#voice#human action

Sample Usage

他忍不住叹了一口气。
tā rěn bu zhù tàn le yī kǒu qì.
He couldn't help letting out a sigh.
大家对他的成就赞叹不已。
dajia duì tā de chéngjiù zàntàn bùyǐ.
Everyone endlessly admired and praised his achievements.

2. Sound

/[tʰän⁵¹]/Tone: 51

叹

tàntan4

`(51)

=tàn

Initial Consonant

Type: Aspirated Alveolar

Sounds like: t as in top

Aspirated

Airflow Tactile Test: Explosive puff of breath! Tissue held before mouth MUST flutter.

Tongue & Mouth Position: Tongue tip touches the alveolar ridge behind the upper front teeth, releasing a puff of air.

Final Rhyme

Vowel Group: -a vowel group

Sounds like: -an rhymes with 'on' or 'an' in tan

Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'ahn'.

Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.

Tone

T4 (51)

5 → 1 (51)

4th Tone (High-Falling)

Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 4 starts high and drops sharply to the bottom, just like shouting 'No!' or expressing sudden exasperation in English.

👂

Listening trap: Confusing the 4th tone (falling 51) with the 2nd tone (rising 35) or 1st tone (high level 55). Ensure the pitch drops sharply from top to bottom.

👋

Physical Tone Gesture: A sharp downward chop or plunging motion from high to low, mirroring a heavy sigh of disappointment or relief.

3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 5 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: Keep the left component (mouth) compact and positioned slightly higher, while the right component stretches downwards to balance the overall width.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 嘆 uses 堇 on the right, which was simplified to 又 in the modern character 叹 to reduce stroke complexity.

4. Components

Radical 口 · Mouth Radical (mouth, speaking, breath)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 口 (indicates that the action involves the mouth, breath, or voicing sounds)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 又 (original sound: tan)

A mouth (口) letting out a breath or sound represented by a hand/action shape (又), combining to show someone sighing.

口 Mouth or breath indicator
又 Phonetic and structural component

5. History

Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Originally formed with a mouth symbol to represent breathing out audibly, later paired with a phonetic element to standardize the sound 'tàn'.

Semantic Evolution: From the basic physical action of exhaling heavily or groaning to expressing emotional sorrow, admiration, or exclamation.

In classical literature, sighing often carried deep philosophical weight regarding the transience of life.

6. Sinosphere

🇻🇳

Sino-Vietnamese

thán

Sắc tone in Vietnamese corresponds well to the sharp falling pitch of Mandarin Tone 4.

🇯🇵

Kanji (Japanese)

On: タン / Kun: なげ.く

🇰🇷

Hanja (Korean)

탄

Sound Shift Bridge: The initial 't-' and ending '-n' remain very stable across Chinese and its historical borrowings.

7. Memory

Vivid Mnemonic Story

You open your MOUTH (口) and let out a heavy sigh because you have to do your chores AGAIN (又 and again)!

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

汉

hànHan ChineseReplaces the mouth radical with water/ice element on the left.

对

duìcorrectUses the inch radical (寸) on the right instead of 又.

Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)

汉(hàn)

汉 has a water-related left side (氵), whereas 叹 has a mouth (口) because you sigh with your mouth.

8. Mastery

Active Recall Challenge

听到这个不幸的消息，他忍不住[___]了一口气。

Clue: tàn

Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the simplified right-hand component 又 with similar components like 寸 or 土, or applying the wrong tone (using Tone 1 or 2 instead of the falling Tone 4).

Memory Prompts

Recognition: When you see 叹, what is its primary meaning and falling tone?

Production: How do you write the character for 'to sigh' (tàn) using the mouth radical?

叹tànto sigh, to exclaim

Speed:

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