扇 (shàn) is a Chinese character meaning “fan”. It is written from 户 (door; household) and 羽 (feather; plume), one enclosing the other, and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “fan”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
户 + 羽
Enclosing structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分，经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数据核验（户 0-3 共4画 + 羽 4-9 共6画 = 10画）；构件功能未核实来源，留空
Memory aid
Feathers (羽) tucked under a door (户): a door leaf that swings back and forth like a wing moves air — a fan.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 扇子shànzifan (hand-held)扇 = shàn
- 电扇diànshànelectric fan扇 = shàn
- 风扇fēngshànfan; electric fan扇 = shàn
Go deeper
All readings
fan
fan; (measure word for doors and windows)
摇动或转动生风的用具；量词，用于门窗等。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 扇子shànzifan (hand-held)扇 = shàn
- 电扇diànshànelectric fan扇 = shàn
- 风扇fēngshànfan; electric fan扇 = shàn
Rare readings, not taught: shān
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 扇 mean?
扇 (shàn) means fan; (measure word for doors and windows).
How do you pronounce 扇?
It is pronounced shàn.
What parts is 扇 made of?
户 (door; household) and 羽 (feather; plume), one enclosing the other. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分，经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数据核验（户 0-3 共4画 + 羽 4-9 共6画 = 10画）；构件功能未核实来源，留空. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 扇 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 扇?
户. 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 扇?
Common ones are 扇子, 电扇, 风扇. The reading of 扇 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.