diǎn
noun HSK 1 #58

Meanings

  1. 1 o'clock (for telling time)
  2. 2 a little; a bit
  3. 3 to order (food)
  4. 4 dot; point

Examples

Xiànzài jǐ diǎn?
What time is it now?
Sān diǎn bàn.
Three thirty.
Yǒu diǎnr lěng.
It's a little cold.
Nǐ yào diǎn shénme?
What would you like to order?

Tips

grammar
has many uses: (1) time — (3 o'clock); (2) or — a little bit; (3) verb — to order food (); (4) to nod (点头).
mistakes
vs : is used after adjectives and means 'a bit more' ( = a bit bigger). is used before adjectives and has a slightly negative tone ( = a bit expensive).

Components

radical
huǒ
fire (bottom-form of 火)
Bottom fire radical — four flame-dots, the squashed form takes when it sits under a character. The indexing radical for ; the dots themselves resemble the small marks of ink the character names. Same radical anchors (hot), (burn), (boil).
phonetic
zhàn
to occupy; to divine
Top supplies the sound (zhàn → diǎn, drifted within dental-affricate family) and a faint flavor of marking a position — fitting for the 'dot' meaning where each point claims a spot. Phonetic family includes (shop), (moisten), (stand).

Stroke Order

diǎn