叹 (tàn) is a Chinese character meaning “to sigh”. It is written from 口 (mouth) and 又 (again), side by side, and takes 5 strokes.
Build the character for “to sigh”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
口 + 又
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代简化字形拆分（笔画核验：口 3 画 + 又 2 画 = 叹 5 画，hanzi-writer-data）
Memory aid
A mouth (口) opening again (又) and again, letting the same long breath out each time — that is a sigh.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
5 strokes
In real words
- 叹气tàn qìto sigh叹 = tàn
- 感叹gǎn tànto sigh with emotion; to exclaim叹 = tàn
- 咏叹yǒng tànto intone; to chant with feeling叹 = tàn
- 长吁短叹cháng xū duǎn tànto sigh and moan; to heave long and short sighs叹 = tàn
- 唉声叹气āi shēng tàn qìto sigh and moan; to heave deep sighs叹 = tàn
Go deeper
All readings
to sigh
to sigh; to exclaim (in admiration or regret)
因忧闷、感慨或赞美而呼出长气；发出感慨的声音。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 叹气tàn qìto sigh叹 = tàn
- 感叹gǎn tànto sigh with emotion; to exclaim叹 = tàn
- 咏叹yǒng tànto intone; to chant with feeling叹 = tàn
- 长吁短叹cháng xū duǎn tànto sigh and moan; to heave long and short sighs叹 = tàn
- 唉声叹气āi shēng tàn qìto sigh and moan; to heave deep sighs叹 = tàn
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 叹 mean?
叹 (tàn) means to sigh; to exclaim (in admiration or regret).
How do you pronounce 叹?
It is pronounced tàn.
What parts is 叹 made of?
口 (mouth) and 又 (again), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代简化字形拆分（笔画核验：口 3 画 + 又 2 画 = 叹 5 画，hanzi-writer-data）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 叹 have?
5. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 叹?
口. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 叹?
Common ones are 叹气 and 感叹. The reading of 叹 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.