憨

hān
心 + 敢

Definitions

hān silly; simple-minded; foolish; naive; sturdy; tough; heavy (of rope)

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 心 represents the meaning and 敢 represents the sound.

Semantic: 心 Phonetic: 敢

About

憨 (hān) is a phono-semantic compound: the heart radical 心 provides the meaning, and 敢 (gǎn) indicates the sound. Historically it described a simple-minded, foolish, or unsophisticated disposition, often with a mildly negative connotation. In modern usage, the character has shifted to an affectionate tone, describing innocent naivety, charming awkwardness, or endearing clumsiness, as in the compound 憨态可掬 (charmingly naive), commonly applied to the clumsy but cute behavior of pandas or young children.

Example Sentences Hide

他的样子很憨。

Tā de yàngzi hěn hān.

His appearance is very silly.

弟弟憨憨地笑了。

Dìdi hānhān de xiào le.

The younger brother smiled in a silly way.

他做事总是那么憨厚。

Tā zuò shì zǒng shì nàme hānhòu.

He always does things so honestly and simply.

她的憨态逗乐了大家。

Tā de hāntài dòu lè le dàjiā.

Her silly manner amused everyone.

别看他一幅憨相，其实很聪明。

Bié kàn tā yī fú hān xiàng, qíshí hěn cōngmíng.

Don't be fooled by his silly look; he is actually very smart.

他憨直的性格赢得了很多朋友。

Tā hānzhí de xìnggé yíngdé le hěnduō péngyǒu.

His straightforward and simple personality won him many friends.

那个憨厚的老农民一辈子勤勤恳恳。

Nàge hānhòu de lǎo nóngmín yībèizi qínqínkěnkěn.

That honest and simple old farmer worked diligently all his life.

尽管他有时显得有点憨，但待人真诚从不虚伪。

Jǐnguǎn tā yǒushí xiǎndé yǒudiǎn hān, dàn dàirén zhēnchéng cóng bù xūwěi.

Although he sometimes appears a bit silly, he treats people sincerely and is never hypocritical.

Related Characters

Component: 心

心 想 意 总 感 必 思 怎 息 念 态 志 愿 急

Component: 敢

橄 瞰 阚 澉 噉 撖 闞 鬫

Example Words

憨厚 憨子 憨实 憨态 憨态可掬 憨直