颔 (hàn) · chin; lower jaw

Meanings

1 chin; lower jaw
2 to nod (in assent or greeting)

Characters

颔

hàn

chin; to nod

Examples

HSK 7-9

他微微颔首表示同意。

Tā wēiwēi hànshǒu biǎoshì tóngyì.

He nodded slightly to show agreement.

HSK 7-9

宝珠藏在骊龙的颔下。

Bǎozhū cáng zài lílóng de hàn xià.

The priceless pearl lies under the black dragon's chin.

Tips

usage

颔 is literary. Two senses: the noun 'chin/jaw' (as in 颔下, 'under the chin') and the verb 'to nod', seen in 颔首 ('to nod the head in assent'). Everyday speech uses 下巴 and 点头 instead.

Components

radical

页 yè

head; page

页 is the head radical. It groups 颔 with other head-and-face characters like 颊 (cheek) and 额 (forehead), marking it as a part of the head.

phonetic

含 hán

to hold in the mouth

含 gives the sound (a small shift from hán to hàn) and a hint of meaning: the chin is the lower jaw that 'holds' food in the mouth.

Stroke Order

颔 hàn

Related Words

颔首之交 hànshǒuzhījiāo

a nodding acquaintance / someone you only know well enough to nod to

汉 hàn #4,197

Han (Chinese); the Han ethnicity / man; fellow / the Han dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE)

低头 dītóu HSK 5 #7,646

to bow one's head; to lower one's head / to yield; to give in; to submit

打盹儿 dǎdǔnr HSK 7-9

to doze off / to take a nap / to nod off

点头 diǎntóu HSK 4 #8,754

to nod

华 huá #3,908

China; Chinese (in compounds) / magnificent; splendid / prosperous; flourishing

划 huà HSK 6 #2,733

to plan; to map out / to delimit; to demarcate; to assign / to draw (a line); to mark / to transfer (funds, jurisdiction) / stroke of a Chinese character

花 huā HSK 2 #386

flower / to spend (money, time)

挨 āi HSK 7-9 #5,027

next to; close to; touching / in sequence; one by one

寸 cùn HSK 6 #4,864

a traditional Chinese unit of length (about 3.33 cm) / inch (informal usage)