阐 (chǎn) is a Chinese character meaning “to explain”. It is written from 门 (door; gate) and 单 (single; alone; list), one enclosing the other, and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “to explain; to make clear”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
门 + 单
Enclosing structure
Structure from: 说文解字: 闡，開也。从門單聲；今简化字形「阐」
Memory aid
One single (单) voice stands in the gateway (门) and throws it open: now everything is explained.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 阐述chǎn shùto expound; to elaborate on阐 = chǎn
- 阐明chǎn míngto clarify; to make clear阐 = chǎn
Go deeper
All readings
to explain
to explain; to expound; to make clear
把道理讲明白；说明，揭示。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 阐述chǎn shùto expound; to elaborate on阐 = chǎn
- 阐明chǎn míngto clarify; to make clear阐 = chǎn
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 阐 mean?
阐 (chǎn) means to explain; to expound; to make clear.
How do you pronounce 阐?
It is pronounced chǎn.
What parts is 阐 made of?
门 (door; gate) and 单 (single; alone; list), one enclosing the other. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 闡，開也。从門單聲；今简化字形「阐」. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 阐 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 阐?
门. 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 阐?
Common ones are 阐述 and 阐明. The reading of 阐 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.