HanziGuru.粘 · zhān
粘
zhān[zhan1]Tone 1

to glue; to paste

HSK 7
Multiple Readings (多音字):
Guru Deep Dive

English · to glue; to paste

Cached lesson
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Topology:Left-right
Strokes:11
Writing Balance Rule: The left side (the rice/grain radical) is narrower and compact, while the right side (zhān phonetic) provides structural balance with horizontal strokes extending neatly.
1. Meaning

to glue, to paste, to stick

to adhereviscous
VerbNeutral#action#materials#physical state
Sample Usage
  • 请把这张海报粘在墙上。
    Qǐng bǎ zhè zhāng hǎibào zhān zài qiáng shàng.
    Please paste this poster on the wall.
  • 邮票粘在信封上了。
    Yóupiào zhān zài xìnfēng shàng le.
    The stamp is stuck onto the envelope.
2. Sound
/[ʈʂän⁵⁵]/Tone: 55
粘
zhānzhan1
++
¯(55)
=zhān
Build the syllable
Step-by-step blending
zhan
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
zh
Type: Unaspirated Retroflex
Sounds like: j/dr retroflex sound
UnaspiratedRetroflex
Airflow Tactile Test: No burst of air. Tongue curled up. Tissue stays still.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Tongue tip curled back near hard palate
Final Rhyme
an
Vowel Group: -a vowel group
Sounds like: -an rhymes with 'on' or 'un' in run
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'ahn'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T1 (55)
1st Tone (High-Flat)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 1 is high and level (55), matching a flat singing pitch without rising or falling.
👂
Listening trap: Confusing zhān (Tone 1) with zhàn (Tone 4) or nián (sticky, similar meaning).
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: Tone 1 is high and steady, like a sustained musical note at the top of your vocal range. Make a flat horizontal hand gesture.
3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 11 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left side (the rice/grain radical) is narrower and compact, while the right side (zhān phonetic) provides structural balance with horizontal strokes extending neatly.

4. Components

Radical 米 · Rice Radical (rice, grain)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 米 (Indicates sticky substances derived from food or grains (like rice paste used historically as glue).)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 占 (original sound: zhān)

Rice grains (米) combined with divination/holding (占) give us something that 'holds' objects together like sticky rice paste: to glue or paste (粘).

  • 米 Rice/grain (semantic clue for sticky paste)
  • 占 To occupy / phonetic component providing the sound zhān
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Combined from 米 (rice, historically boiled down to make adhesive paste) and 占 (zhan, providing the phonetic sound and a sense of 'holding onto' or 'occupying' a surface).

Semantic Evolution: Originally referred specifically to rice-based adhesive paste, later generalized to mean any form of gluing, sticking, or adhering.

  • Ancient Chinese bookbinders and craftsmen commonly used cooked rice paste as a strong natural glue.
6. Sinosphere
🇻🇳
Sino-Vietnamese
niêm
Mandarin level tone corresponds closely to Vietnamese ngang or sắc depending on historical developments.
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: ネン / Kun: ねる, ねば.る
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
점
Sound Shift Bridge: The historical initial dental/palatal transition links Chinese zh- to Japanese n-/ne- and Korean j-/jeom readings in derived compounds.
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

You spill sticky cooked **rice** (米) all over the table, and it **occupies** (占) and sticks to everything you touch, forcing you to **glue** or **paste** (粘) it back together.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
占
zhānto observe, to divinePhonetic Core (声旁)
店
diànshop, store, inn+ 广 (shelter)
点
diǎndot, point, o'clock, to touch, to order+ 灬 (fire)
站
zhànstation, to stand, to stop+ 立 (stand)
Explore this family →
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
年(nián)
年 means year and has a different top structure, lacking the rice radical 米 found on the left of 粘.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
请把这张照片[___]在笔记本上。
Clue: zhān
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing 粘 (zhān, to glue) with 沾 (zhān, to moisten/touch) due to their identical pronunciation tones and similar right-side components.

Memory Prompts
Recognition: When you see 粘 with the rice radical 米 and phonetic 占, what action does it describe?
Production: How do you write the character meaning 'to glue or paste' (zhān) using the rice radical?
Real-World Video Context

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

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