谙

諳
ān
verb #39,329

Meanings

  1. 1 to be well versed in; to know well

Examples

HSK 5
Tā ānshú běndì de fēngsú.
He is well versed in the customs of this region.
HSK 7-9
Zhè niánqīngrén bù ān shìshì.
The young man knows nothing of the ways of the world.

Tips

usage
谙 is literary, meaning to be thoroughly familiar with something, usually in 谙熟 or 熟谙. The line 风景旧曾谙 ('the scenery I knew so well of old') is its best-loved appearance.

Components

radical
讠 yán
speech; words
The speech radical in its compact left-side form, from 言. Knowing something well once meant being able to recite and discuss it, so the speech radical marks this familiarity word. It groups 谙 with 识 and 谈.
phonetic
音 yīn
phonetic
Carries the sound, with the reading reduced to ān. It contributes pronunciation only; the same element gives 暗 and 谙 their related vowel.

Stroke Order

谙 ān