诞 (dàn) is a Chinese character meaning “to be born”. It is written from 讠 (speech radical) and 延 (to extend; to prolong), side by side, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “to be born”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
讠 + 延
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字「誕，詞誕也。从言延聲」；简化字 IDS 拆分 ⿰讠延，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 0–1 为「讠」两笔，笔画 2–7 与「延」六笔逐笔对应（2+6=8画）
Memory aid
Speech (讠) that stretches on and on (延) — the long-drawn-out announcement that someone has been born.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 诞生dàn shēngto be born; to come into being诞 = dàn
- 圣诞节shèng dàn jiéChristmas诞 = dàn
Go deeper
All readings
to be born
to be born; birth; birthday; absurd, preposterous
出生；生日。也表示荒唐、不合情理。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 诞生dàn shēngto be born; to come into being诞 = dàn
- 圣诞节shèng dàn jiéChristmas诞 = dàn
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 诞 mean?
诞 (dàn) means to be born; birth; birthday; absurd, preposterous.
How do you pronounce 诞?
It is pronounced dàn.
What parts is 诞 made of?
讠 (speech radical) and 延 (to extend; to prolong), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字「誕，詞誕也。从言延聲」；简化字 IDS 拆分 ⿰讠延，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 0–1 为「讠」两笔，笔画 2–7 与「延」六笔逐笔对应（2+6=8画）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 诞 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 诞?
讠. 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 诞?
Common ones are 诞生 and 圣诞节. The reading of 诞 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.