杆 (gān) is a Chinese character meaning “a long pole or post, usually of wood or metal, standing”. It is written from 木 (tree; wood) and 干 (dry), side by side, and takes 7 strokes. It has a second reading, gǎn, which turns up in 笔杆 — here the two readings are two separate things to learn, not one card with two answers.
Build the character for “pole”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
木 + 干
Left–right structure
Structure from: IDS 现代字形拆分，已对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（木 4 画 + 干 3 画 = 7 画）
Memory aid
Wood (木) on the left, dry (干) on the right — a dry wooden pole. 干 is also the sound clue here: it is read gān, and so is 杆.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 旗杆qí gānflagpole杆 = gān
- 栏杆lán gānrailing; banister杆 = gān
Go deeper
All readings
pole
a long pole or post, usually of wood or metal, standing upright
较长的竖立杆子，多为木制或金属制。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 旗杆qí gānflagpole杆 = gān
- 栏杆lán gānrailing; banister杆 = gān
shaft
the shaft or handle of a tool or weapon, with something attached at one end
器物上像棍子的细长部分，一端连着别的东西。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 笔杆bǐ gǎnthe shaft of a pen or brush杆 = gǎn
- 秤杆chèng gǎnbeam of a steelyard杆 = gǎn
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 杆 mean?
杆 (gān) means a long pole or post, usually of wood or metal, standing upright.
How do you pronounce 杆?
Its main reading is gān. It also has a second reading, gǎn, which only shows up in certain words such as 笔杆 — so the word tells you the reading, not the character on its own.
Why is 杆 sometimes pronounced gǎn?
Because it is a multi-reading character: each reading carries a different sense, and the word decides which one applies. In 笔杆 it is read gǎn.
What parts is 杆 made of?
木 (tree; wood) and 干 (dry), side by side. The recorded source is: IDS 现代字形拆分，已对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（木 4 画 + 干 3 画 = 7 画）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 杆 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 杆?
木. 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 杆?
Common ones are 旗杆 and 栏杆. The reading of 杆 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.