Pronunciation

Characters pronounced chan.

10 name characters share this pronunciation across tones. Pinyin alone does not identify a character; choose the Hanzi you want.

All 10 characters are listed below. Each links to its own page with meaning, structure, and names that use it.

颤 chàn shiver, tremble; trembling 禅 chán meditation, contemplation 缠 chán wrap, wind around; tie, bind 蝉 chán cicada; continuous 馋 chán strong gluttonous, greedy; lewd, lecherous 掺 chān mix, blend, adulterate 搀 chān give helping hand 产 chǎn give birth, bring forth, produce 铲 chǎn spade, shovel, trowel, scoop 阐 chǎn explain, clarify, elucidate

Why several characters share one pinyin

Mandarin has many homophones. Tone narrows the sound, but different characters can still share the same syllable and tone. The Hanzi is the identity; the pinyin is only the sound.

Browse all name characters or use Search to look up a character by meaning.