探 (tàn) is a Chinese character meaning “to explore”. It is written from 扌 (hand (radical form)) and 罙 (deep (old form of 深); sound component), side by side, and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “to explore”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
扌 + 罙
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字: 探，远取之也。从手，罙声。
Memory aid
A hand (扌) reaching into something deep (罙) — you feel around to find out what is inside: to explore.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 探索tàn suǒto explore; to probe探 = tàn
- 侦探zhēn tàndetective探 = tàn
- 探险tàn xiǎnto explore; expedition探 = tàn
- 勘探kān tànto prospect; to explore (for minerals)探 = tàn
Go deeper
All readings
to explore; to probe
to explore; to search out; to probe; to visit; to stretch forward
试图发现隐藏的事物或情况；看望；向前伸出（头或身体）。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 探索tàn suǒto explore; to probe探 = tàn
- 侦探zhēn tàndetective探 = tàn
- 探险tàn xiǎnto explore; expedition探 = tàn
- 勘探kān tànto prospect; to explore (for minerals)探 = tàn
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 探 mean?
探 (tàn) means to explore; to search out; to probe; to visit; to stretch forward.
How do you pronounce 探?
It is pronounced tàn.
What parts is 探 made of?
扌 (hand (radical form)) and 罙 (deep (old form of 深); sound component), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 探，远取之也。从手，罙声。. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 探 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 探?
扌. 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 探?
Common ones are 探索, 侦探, 探险. The reading of 探 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.