绽 (zhàn) is a Chinese character meaning “to split at the seams”. It is written from 纟 (silk; thread (left-side form)) and 定 (settled; fixed), side by side, and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “to burst open”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
纟 + 定
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分，以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：11 画 = 纟 3 画（笔画 0–2）+ 定 8 画（笔画 3–10）；构形候选 ⿰纟定（形声：纟表义、定表音）来自构建期 makemeahanzi/cjkvi-ids；部首取康熙 120 糸部；现代读音 定 dìng / 绽 zhàn 已分化
Memory aid
The thread (纟) that held everything fixed in place (定) gives way — the seam bursts open, like a flower bursting into bloom. Both parts really are in this character.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 绽放zhàn fàngto burst into bloom; to blossom绽 = zhàn
- 破绽pò zhàna flaw; a weak point (in an argument or story)绽 = zhàn
Go deeper
All readings
to burst open
to split at the seams; to burst open; to bloom
衣缝裂开；也指花朵、笑容等裂开般地展开。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 绽放zhàn fàngto burst into bloom; to blossom绽 = zhàn
- 破绽pò zhàna flaw; a weak point (in an argument or story)绽 = zhàn
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 绽 mean?
绽 (zhàn) means to split at the seams; to burst open; to bloom.
How do you pronounce 绽?
It is pronounced zhàn.
What parts is 绽 made of?
纟 (silk; thread (left-side form)) and 定 (settled; fixed), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分，以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：11 画 = 纟 3 画（笔画 0–2）+ 定 8 画（笔画 3–10）；构形候选 ⿰纟定（形声：纟表义、定表音）来自构建期 makemeahanzi/cjkvi-ids；部首取康熙 120 糸部；现代读音 定 dìng / 绽 zhàn 已分化. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 绽 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 绽?
纟. 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 绽?
Common ones are 绽放 and 破绽. The reading of 绽 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.