hǎn
adjective #13,053

Meanings

  1. 1 rare
  2. 2 scarce
  3. 3 uncommon

Examples

HSK 3
Zhèzhǒng niǎo zài zhège dìqū fēicháng hǎnjiàn.
This kind of bird is very rare in this area.

Tips

usage
Most commonly appears in the compound 罕见 (rare/seldom seen). Rarely used alone in modern Chinese.

Components

radical
wǎng
net (top radical form of 网)
Top net radical - the flattened cap-form of , drawn as a mesh stretched out for catching prey. Supplies the meaning: originally named a long-handled bird-catching net rarely used outside hunting, and from 'rarely used' came the modern sense of 'rare, scarce.' Same radical sits in net, stop, crime.
phonetic
gān
pole; shield (phonetic)
Bottom supplies the sound - gān drifting to hǎn through a g/h alternation visible in old readings of this small phonetic family. itself depicts a forked pole used as a weapon or shield; the pole image faintly reinforces the picture of a long-handled net handle below the mesh.

Stroke Order

hǎn