HanziGuru.籃 · lán
籃
lán[lan2]Tone 2

basket

HSK 2
View Simplified FormSwitch to Simplified
篮
Guru Deep Dive

English · basket

Cached lesson
1 / 1
Topology:Top-bottom
Strokes:18
Writing Balance Rule: Keep the top bamboo radical (⺮) compact and balanced across the horizontal axis, and make sure the bottom component (监) is sturdy and centered beneath it.
Simplification Logic: The traditional form 籃 uses the full form of 監 at the bottom, while the simplified form keeps the exact same radical structure but retains standard simplified component proportions.
1. Meaning

basket (receptacle)

basket in the sport of basketball
NounNeutral#household objects#sports#containers
Sample Usage
  • 这只篮子里装满了苹果。
    zhè zhī lán zi lǐ zhuāng mǎn le píng guǒ.
    This basket is filled with apples.
  • 他把篮球投进了篮。 (often 篮圈)
    tā bǎ lán qiú tóu jìn le lán.
    He shot the basketball into the basket.
2. Sound
/[län³⁵]/Tone: 35
籃
lánlan2
++
´(35)
=lán
Initial Consonant
l
Type: Alveolar Lateral
Sounds like: English 'l' sound
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: Air flows freely around both sides of tongue.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Tongue tip touches the alveolar ridge, sides of tongue are lowered to let air escape laterally.
Final Rhyme
an
Vowel Group: -a vowel group
Sounds like: -an rhymes with 'ahn' or 'run' without the r
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'ahn'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T2 (35)
2nd Tone (Mid-Rising)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 2 sounds like a questioning English inflection ('What?'), starting at a mid pitch and rising up to a high pitch.
Sandhi: When followed by a 4th tone syllable, Tone 2 rises moderately to a slightly lower pitch before dropping sharply.
👂
Listening trap: Do not confuse with Tone 4 (làn) or Tone 1 (lān); ensure the pitch clearly starts in the middle and rises to the top.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: Move your hand upward diagonally from left to right, like climbing a gentle hill, matching the rising pitch of Tone 2.
3. Writing

Topology: Top-bottom · Strokes: 18 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: Keep the top bamboo radical (⺮) compact and balanced across the horizontal axis, and make sure the bottom component (监) is sturdy and centered beneath it.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 籃 uses the full form of 監 at the bottom, while the simplified form keeps the exact same radical structure but retains standard simplified component proportions.

4. Components

Radical ⺮ · Bamboo radical (bamboo, plants made of bamboo)

Semantic Clue (形旁): ⺮ (Indicates that the object is traditionally made of bamboo.)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 监 (original sound: jiān / lán)

A BASKET (lán) is made from BAMBOO (⺮) woven together under the watchful eye / supervision (监).

  • ⺮ Bamboo top classifier, signaling woven bamboo objects
  • 监 Phonetic and structural component providing the base sound
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Originally constructed as a phono-semantic compound where the bamboo radical (⺮) denotes baskets made of bamboo strips, and 监 provides the phonetic reading.

Semantic Evolution: From ancient times referring specifically to bamboo woven receptacles for holding items, it now extends to modern containers and sports goals like basketball (篮球).

  • Ancient Chinese baskets were universally crafted from split bamboo or rattan, making the bamboo radical essential for container vocabulary.
6. Sinosphere
🇻🇳
Sino-Vietnamese
lam
The Sino-Vietnamese reading 'lam' corresponds to the southern/standard reading, sharing a similar nasal ending.
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: ラン / Kun: かご
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
람
Sound Shift Bridge: Mandarin initial 'l-' corresponds across many East Asian borrowings into similar lateral initials.
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

You go to the market carrying a BAMBOO (⺮) basket while SUPERVISING (监) your children so they don't wander off.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
监
jiānsupervise, prisonWithout the bamboo top, it means to supervise or prison.
蓝
lánblueReplaces the bamboo top with the grass radical (艹) for blue color.
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
蓝(lán)
蓝 has the grass/plant radical (艹) for blue plants (indigo), whereas 篮 has the bamboo radical (⺮) for woven baskets.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
媽媽去超市買菜時，手裡提著一個菜[___]。
Clue: lán zi
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing 篮 (basket, with bamboo radical ⺮) with 蓝 (blue, with grass radical 艹) due to identical pronunciation.

Memory Prompts
Recognition: What does 篮 mean and what is its radical?
Production: How do you write the character for 'basket' (lán) using the bamboo radical?
Real-World Video Context

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

Search theme
Accent preference

Results are live YouTube search — accents and levels aren't verified.

籃lánbasket
Speed:
Searching YouTube for native pronunciation videos...
0 / 0
Watch on YouTubeMore Results on YouTube