咱 (zán) is a Chinese character meaning “we”. It is written from 口 (mouth) and 自 (self; nose), side by side, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “we; us (including you)”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
口 + 自
Left–right structure
Structure from: Unicode U+549B 与 hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 现代字形核验（左「口」3 笔 + 右「自」6 笔 = 9 笔）
Memory aid
A mouth (口) next to self (自): the mouth that speaks for me — and for you too. 咱们 is the "us" that includes the person you are talking to.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 咱们zán menwe; us (including the listener)咱 = zán
Go deeper
All readings
we; us (inclusive)
we; us — the colloquial pronoun that includes both speaker and listener
口语第一人称代词，包括说话人和听话人在内的「我们」。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 咱们zán menwe; us (including the listener)咱 = zán
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 咱 mean?
咱 (zán) means we; us — the colloquial pronoun that includes both speaker and listener.
How do you pronounce 咱?
It is pronounced zán.
What parts is 咱 made of?
口 (mouth) and 自 (self; nose), side by side. The recorded source is: Unicode U+549B 与 hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 现代字形核验（左「口」3 笔 + 右「自」6 笔 = 9 笔）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 咱 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 咱?
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 咱?
Common ones are 咱们. The reading of 咱 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.