案 (àn) is a Chinese character meaning “long narrow table or desk”. It is written from 安 (safe; at peace) and 木 (tree; wood), one above the other, and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “answer; plan; case”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
安 + 木
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: 说文解字: 案，几属。从木安声；现代字形按 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（安6 + 木4 = 10 笔）
Memory aid
木 at the bottom is wood — the legs and boards of a table. 安 on top gives the sound: ān shifts to àn. A wooden desk where cases and plans are laid out: 案.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 答案dá ànanswer; solution (to a question)案 = àn
- 方案fāng ànplan; scheme; proposal案 = àn
- 档案dàng ànfiles; archives; records案 = àn
Go deeper
All readings
table; case; plan
long narrow table or desk; legal case; record, file; plan, proposal
长条形的桌子；需要处理或查办的事件（案件）；记录、文件；提出的计划或建议。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 答案dá ànanswer; solution (to a question)案 = àn
- 方案fāng ànplan; scheme; proposal案 = àn
- 档案dàng ànfiles; archives; records案 = àn
Sound component
安 family tone diff
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 案 mean?
案 (àn) means long narrow table or desk; legal case; record, file; plan, proposal.
How do you pronounce 案?
It is pronounced àn.
What parts is 案 made of?
安 (safe; at peace) and 木 (tree; wood), one above the other. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 案，几属。从木安声；现代字形按 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（安6 + 木4 = 10 笔）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 案 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 案?
木. 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 案?
Common ones are 答案, 方案, 档案. The reading of 案 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.