HanziGuru.毯 · tǎn
毯
tǎn[tan3]Tone 3

blanket

HSK 7
Guru Deep Dive

English · blanket

Cached lesson
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Topology:Left-right
Strokes:12
Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (毛) should be slightly narrower to leave ample space for the right phonetic component (炎).
1. Meaning

blanket or rug used for warmth or floor covering

carpetpad
NounNeutral#household items#textiles#winter
Sample Usage
  • 天气冷了，多盖一条毯子。
    tiān qì lěng le, duō gài yì tiáo tǎn zi.
    The weather is getting cold, cover yourself with an extra blanket.
  • 客厅里铺了一块厚地毯。
    kè tīng lǐ pū le yí kuài hòu dì tǎn.
    A thick rug is laid out in the living room.
2. Sound
/[tʰän²¹⁴]/Tone: 214
毯
tǎntan3
++
ˇ(214)
=tǎn
Build the syllable
Step-by-step blending
tan
Tone mark placement: Tone mark sits on "a" per main-vowel priority (a > e > o; in -iu/-ui the mark takes the second vowel).
Initial Consonant
t
Type: Aspirated Alveolar
Sounds like: t as in 'top' (strongly aspirated)
Aspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: Explosive puff of breath! Tissue held before mouth MUST flutter.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Tongue tip pressed against the alveolar ridge behind the upper teeth, releasing a burst of air.
Final Rhyme
an
Vowel Group: -a vowel group
Sounds like: -an as in 'on' or 'un' in run, ending with an n sound
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'ahn'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T3 (214)
3rd Tone (Low-Dipping)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 3 dips low like a sigh of disappointment before rising back up with uncertainty.
Sandhi: When followed by another 3rd tone syllable, tǎn shifts to a 2nd tone (rising 35) automatically.
👂
Listening trap: Do not confuse with dan (unaspirated 'd'). Make sure to aspirate the initial 't' strongly.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: Start at a medium height, dip down low toward your chest, and sweep back up into the air like a checkmark.
3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 12 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (毛) should be slightly narrower to leave ample space for the right phonetic component (炎).

4. Components

Radical 毛 · feather/hair radical (hair, fur, or feathers)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 毛 (indicates that a blanket is made of soft hair, wool, or fur fibers)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 炎 (original sound: yán / tǎn sound clue)

A blanket (毯) is made of fuzzy hair or wool (毛) woven together under blazing warmth (炎).

  • 毛 hair or fur (semantic material clue)
  • 炎 flames or heat (phonetic and warmth clue)
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Combined from 毛 (hair, wool, fur) representing the soft material of early rugs and blankets, and 炎 (two fires, representing heat or the phonetic sound).

Semantic Evolution: Originally referred to heavy woolen rugs or coarse wool blankets, later generalized to all kinds of bedding blankets and floor carpets.

  • Ancient blankets were primarily woven from animal hair and wool before cotton became widespread in later dynasties.
6. Sinosphere
🇻🇳
Sino-Vietnamese
thảm
Mandarin 3rd tone corresponds closely to Vietnamese hỏi tone.
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: タン
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
탐
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

You wrap yourself in a fuzzy wool blanket made of animal HAIR (毛) that keeps you warm against the blazing heat of a campfire (炎).

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
炎
yánflame, inflammationPhonetic Core (声旁)
谈
tánto talk / to speak / to chat+ 讠 (speech)
淡
dànlight in color, dilute, mild, tasteless+ 氵 (water)
痰
tánphlegm+ 疒 (sickness)
Explore this family →
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
淡(dàn)
淡 has water (氵) for watery/pale things, while 毯 has hair/fur (毛) for cozy blankets.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
晚上睡觉的时候，记得盖好[___]。
Clue: tǎn
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the left radical 毛 with similar components like 手 or 氵, leading to incorrect character construction.

Memory Prompts
Recognition: When you see 毯, what material component tells you it is soft and made of fibers?
Production: How do you write the Chinese word for 'blanket' using the hair radical and the flame component?
Real-World Video Context

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

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