搀 (chān) is a Chinese character meaning “to help someone along by holding their arm”. It is written from 扌 (hand (radical form)) and 免 (to avoid; to exempt) and ⺀ (two dots (bottom form)), side by side, and takes 12 strokes.
Build the character for “to support by the arm”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
扌 + 免 + ⺀
Left–right structure
- 扌 hand (radical form) · shǒu meaning
- 免 to avoid; to exempt · miǎn simplified form
- ⺀ two dots (bottom form) simplified form
Structure from: IDS（cjkvi-ids ⿰扌𫥎）+ hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（简化字形 12 画：扌3 + 免7 + ⺀2）
Memory aid
A hand (扌) reaches for a friend who wants to slip away (免), two drops of sweat (⺀) falling below — you take their arm and help them along.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
12 strokes
In real words
- 搀扶chān fúto support someone by the arm搀 = chān
- 搀杂chān záto mix in; to mingle搀 = chān
Go deeper
All readings
to support by the arm; to mix
to help someone along by holding their arm; to mix in, to blend
用手轻轻架住别人的胳膊扶着走；也指把一种东西混合进另一种东西。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 搀扶chān fúto support someone by the arm搀 = chān
- 搀杂chān záto mix in; to mingle搀 = chān
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 搀 mean?
搀 (chān) means to help someone along by holding their arm; to mix in, to blend.
How do you pronounce 搀?
It is pronounced chān.
What parts is 搀 made of?
扌 (hand (radical form)) and 免 (to avoid; to exempt) and ⺀ (two dots (bottom form)), side by side. The recorded source is: IDS（cjkvi-ids ⿰扌𫥎）+ hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（简化字形 12 画：扌3 + 免7 + ⺀2）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 搀 have?
12. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 搀?
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 搀?
Common ones are 搀扶 and 搀杂. The reading of 搀 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.