dān / dàn
verb HSK 7-9 #9,676

Meanings

  1. 1 to shoulder; to carry on a pole
  2. 2 to take on; to undertake
  3. 3 to take responsibility for

Examples

HSK 3
Bié dānxīn, méishì de.
Don't worry, it's fine.
HSK 3
Tā dānrèn le jīnglǐ.
He took on the role of manager.
HSK 3
Zhè fèn zérèn dàjiā yīnggāi fēndān.
Everyone should share this responsibility.

Tips

mistakes
has two readings. First-tone dān is the verb 'to carry / undertake': 担心 (to worry), 担任 (to serve as), 承担 (to bear). Fourth-tone dàn is the noun 'a load / picul / classifier for shoulder-pole loads': 重担 (heavy burden), 担子.
memory
The action of carrying is dān (level first tone, you are still holding it up); the thing carried, the load that drops onto your shoulder, is dàn (falling fourth tone), as in 担子.

Components

radical
shǒu
hand (left-side form)
is left-side and marks as a lifting action, bearing a load on a shoulder pole is hands-and-arms work. The same radical heads , , , .
phonetic
dàn
dawn; daybreak
supplies the sound, with a tone shift dàn to dān. In simplified it replaced traditional 's phonetic, a major reform substitution. The 'dawn' meaning has no role; pure sound shorthand.

Stroke Order

dān