Writing Balance Rule: The top component (今) should be slightly compressed, while the bottom component (贝) should be wide and balanced to support the whole character.
1. Meaning
greedy
to have a voracious desire forto covetcorrupt
Adjective / VerbNeutral#emotions#ethics#behavior
Sample Usage
他做事总是贪多求快。
tā zuò shì zǒng shì tān duō qiú kuài.
He is always greedy for quantity and rushes things when doing work.
为官不能贪污。
wéi guān bù néng tān wū.
Officials must not be corrupt or take bribes.
2. Sound
/[tʰän˥˥]/Tone: 55
贪
tāntan1
|
++
¯(55)
=tān
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 sound
Aspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: Explosive puff of breath! Tissue held before mouth MUST flutter.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Tongue tip touches the alveolar ridge just behind upper front teeth, releasing a strong puff of air.
Final Rhyme
an
Vowel Group: -a vowel group
Sounds like: -an rhymes with 'con' in calm 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
T1 (55)
5 → 5 (55)
1st Tone (High-Flat)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 1 is a high, level pitch matching a flat musical note, similar to saying 'mde' or 'A' in surprise.
👂
Listening trap: Do not confuse with the 2nd tone (tán) or 4th tone (tàn). Ensure the pitch stays high and level without dipping.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: A high, flat musical note held steady at the top of your vocal range, like singing a single high pitch.
3. Writing
Topology: Top-bottom · Strokes: 8 strokes
Writing Balance Rule: The top component (今) should be slightly compressed, while the bottom component (贝) should be wide and balanced to support the whole character.
4. Components
Radical贝 · Shell / Cowrie Radical (Money, wealth, or valuables)
Semantic Clue (形旁):贝 (Indicates wealth, money, or material goods associated with greed.)
A person living in the present moment (今) stares endlessly at money and valuables (贝), forming a greedy desire.
今 Top component, phonetic/historical clue
贝 Bottom component, represents money and treasures
Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
14· Phonetic Root: 今 (jīn)
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)
Origin: Originally combined elements representing a person or present state (今) with shell currency (贝), depicting the obsession with accumulating wealth.
Semantic Evolution: Shifted from general hoarding of cowrie shells to any form of excessive desire, covetousness, or corruption.
Shells served as ancient Chinese currency, making '贝' the foundational root for words related to wealth, value, and greed.
6. Sinosphere
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: タン / Kun: た・る
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
탐
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story
Right now (今) in the present moment, someone stares at a pile of money and shells (贝) with eyes full of greedy (贪) desire.
Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
今
jīnnowPhonetic Core (声旁)
含
hánto contain+ 口 (mouth)
吟
yínto chant; to recite; verse; song (often used in titles of classical poems)+ 口 (mouth)
贪 has 今 (now) on top of 贝 (money) - wanting money now makes you greedy. 贫 has 分 (divide) on top of 贝 (money) - having your money divided leaves you poor.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
做人不能太[___]，我们要知足常乐。
Clue: tān
Common Learner Pitfall
Confusing the top part 今 with similar top components like 文, or mixing up 贪 (greedy) with 贫 (poor) due to the shared 贝 radical.
Memory Prompts
Recognition: What does the character 贪 mean, and what are its key components?
Production: How do you write the character for 'greedy' (tān) using the 'now' component over the 'shell/money' 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.
贪tāngreedy
Speed:
Searching YouTube for native pronunciation videos...