尬 (gà) is a Chinese character meaning “awkward”. It is written from 尢 (lame; bent leg) and 介 (to be between; to interpose (in 价 it is the sound part)), one enclosing the other, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “awkward”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
尢 + 介
Enclosing structure
- 尢 lame; bent leg · wāng meaning
- 介 to be between; to interpose (in 价 it is the sound part) · jiè sound
Structure from: 现代字形拆分（hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：0-2 尢 / 3-6 介）
Memory aid
A leg that will not stand straight (尢) with someone stuck in between (介): caught in the middle and off balance — that is 尬, awkward.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 尴尬gān gàawkward; embarrassed尬 = gà
Go deeper
All readings
awkward
awkward; embarrassed — used in the word 尴尬 (gāngà)
处境为难、不自然；用于「尴尬」一词。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 尴尬gān gàawkward; embarrassed尬 = gà
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 尬 mean?
尬 (gà) means awkward; embarrassed — used in the word 尴尬 (gāngà).
How do you pronounce 尬?
It is pronounced gà.
What parts is 尬 made of?
尢 (lame; bent leg) and 介 (to be between; to interpose (in 价 it is the sound part)), one enclosing the other. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分（hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：0-2 尢 / 3-6 介）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 尬 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 尬?
尢. 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 尬?
Common ones are 尴尬. The reading of 尬 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.