断 (duàn) is a Chinese character meaning “to break”. It is written from ㇄ (vertical turning stroke) and 米 (rice (uncooked grains)) and 斤 (catty (unit of weight)), side by side, and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “to break; to cut off”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
㇄ + 米 + 斤
Left–right structure
- ㇄ vertical turning stroke unknown
- 米 rice (uncooked grains) · mǐ unknown
- 斤 catty (unit of weight) · jīn meaning
Structure from: 说文解字: 斷，截也。从斤从㡭（斤 表义）；现代简化字形据 hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 逐笔核验（米 笔0–5；竖折 ㇄ 笔6 包于左下；斤 笔7–10）
Memory aid
Rice (米) is packed into a corner (㇄), and an axe (斤) chops right through it — cut off!
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 判断pàn duànto judge; to determine; judgement断 = duàn
- 诊断zhěn duànto diagnose; a diagnosis断 = duàn
- 垄断lǒng duànto monopolize; monopoly断 = duàn
- 斩断zhǎn duànto chop off; to sever断 = duàn
- 掐断qiā duànto cut off; to pinch off断 = duàn
Go deeper
All readings
to break; to cut off
to break; to cut off; to break off; to judge, to decide; absolutely (in negatives)
把长条的东西分成几段；使中间隔开、不再连续；判定、决定。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 判断pàn duànto judge; to determine; judgement断 = duàn
- 诊断zhěn duànto diagnose; a diagnosis断 = duàn
- 垄断lǒng duànto monopolize; monopoly断 = duàn
- 斩断zhǎn duànto chop off; to sever断 = duàn
- 掐断qiā duànto cut off; to pinch off断 = duàn
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 断 mean?
断 (duàn) means to break; to cut off; to break off; to judge, to decide; absolutely (in negatives).
How do you pronounce 断?
It is pronounced duàn.
What parts is 断 made of?
㇄ (vertical turning stroke) and 米 (rice (uncooked grains)) and 斤 (catty (unit of weight)), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 斷，截也。从斤从㡭（斤 表义）；现代简化字形据 hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 逐笔核验（米 笔0–5；竖折 ㇄ 笔6 包于左下；斤 笔7–10）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 断 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 断?
斤. 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 断?
Common ones are 判断, 诊断, 垄断. The reading of 断 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.