HanziGuru.案 · àn
案
àn[an4]Tone 4

legal case, table

HSK 4
Guru Deep Dive

English · legal case, table

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Topology:Top-bottom
Strokes:10
Writing Balance Rule: The top roof component (木) must be wide and shelter the bottom element (安) comfortably without crushing it.
1. Meaning

legal case or incident

record or official filedesk or long table used by officials or scholars
NounNeutral#law#furniture#administration
Sample Usage
  • 这个案子很复杂。
    zhège ànzi hěn fùzá.
    This case is very complicated.
  • 办案人员正在搜集证据。
    bàn'àn rényuán zhèngzài sōují zhèngjù.
    Case-handling personnel are currently collecting evidence.
2. Sound
/[än⁵¹]/Tone: 51
案
ànan4
++
`(51)
=àn
Initial Consonant
∅
Type: Zero Initial (Pure Vowel)
Sounds like: Zero-initial (starts directly with the vowel sound 'a')
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: Starts directly on the vowel sound without consonant obstruction.
Tongue & Mouth Position: No initial consonant obstruction; tongue starts low and flat for 'a'.
Final Rhyme
an
Vowel Group: -a vowel group
Sounds like: -an rhymes with 'on' or the 'an' in 'father' plus a nasal ending
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'ahn'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T4 (51)
4th Tone (High-Falling)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 4 starts high and pitches down steeply, identical to a sharp command or an emphatic English 'No!'
👂
Listening trap: Confusing the falling Tone 4 (-àn) with Tone 1 or Tone 3, or failing to close the nasal ending cleanly with the tongue tip.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: Start high and drop sharply straight down like nodding your head in a decisive, authoritative 'Yes!'
3. Writing

Topology: Top-bottom · Strokes: 10 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The top roof component (木) must be wide and shelter the bottom element (安) comfortably without crushing it.

4. Components

Radical 木 · Wood Radical (tree, wood, wooden material)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 木 (Indicates wood, originally representing a wooden desk or table)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 安 (original sound: ān)

A wooden table (木) where one feels safe and settled (安) to review official documents and legal cases.

  • 木 Wood / Table
  • 安 Peace / Secure (provides the sound 'àn')
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Originally referred to a tall wooden desk or armrest used by officials. Over time, documents placed on the desk became known as 'cases' or 'records'.

Semantic Evolution: From 'wooden table/desk' -> 'documents on the desk' -> 'official government cases/incidents' -> 'modern legal cases'.

  • In ancient China, magistrates reviewed legal petitions sitting behind a wooden table (案), which is how legal cases came to share the same name.
6. Sinosphere
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: アン / Kun: つくえ
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
안
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

At a wooden desk (木), a peaceful detective (安) reviews a high-profile legal case (案) late into the night.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
按
ànto press, to pushAdd hand radical (扌) to mean pressing down with your hand.
铵
ǎnammoniumAdd metal radical (钅) for chemical ammonium.
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
按(àn)
案 has a wood radical (木) for a table/case, whereas 按 has a hand radical (扌) for pressing.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
这起重大刑事[___]正在进一步调查中。
Clue: àn zi
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing 案 (àn - case/table) with 按 (àn - to press) because they share the exact same pronunciation and tone.

Memory Prompts
Recognition: What does the character 案 mean when combined with 木 (wood) and 安 (peace)?
Production: How do you write the character for a 'legal case' or 'table', pronounced àn with 10 strokes?
Real-World Video Context

Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.

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