患 (huàn) is a Chinese character meaning “trouble”. It is written from 串 (string (of things); to string together) and 心 (heart; mind), one above the other, and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “trouble; to suffer from”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
串 + 心
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: IDS 现代字形拆分 ⿱串心（构建期候选），已对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：0–6 为串，7–10 为心
Memory aid
A whole string (串) of troubles hangs over the heart (心) — that weight is worry and trouble.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 患者huàn zhěpatient (medical)患 = huàn
- 后患hòu huànfuture trouble; lingering danger患 = huàn
Go deeper
All readings
trouble; to suffer from
trouble; disaster; worry; to suffer from (an illness)
灾祸，祸害；忧虑；害（病）。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 患者huàn zhěpatient (medical)患 = huàn
- 后患hòu huànfuture trouble; lingering danger患 = huàn
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 患 mean?
患 (huàn) means trouble; disaster; worry; to suffer from (an illness).
How do you pronounce 患?
It is pronounced huàn.
What parts is 患 made of?
串 (string (of things); to string together) and 心 (heart; mind), one above the other. The recorded source is: IDS 现代字形拆分 ⿱串心（构建期候选），已对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：0–6 为串，7–10 为心. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 患 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 患?
心. 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 患?
Common ones are 患者 and 后患. The reading of 患 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.