敢

敢 U+6562, 敢 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-6562 ← 敡 [U+6561] CJK Unified Ideographs 散 → [U+6563]

Translingual

Stroke order

Mainland China

Alternative forms

• In mainland China (based on Xin Zixing 新字形), the upper left component is written 乛 (one stroke).
• In other regions, the upper left component is written 丅 (two strokes) which is the orthodox form found in the Kangxi dictionary.

Han character

敢 (Kangxi radical 66, 攴+8, 12 strokes in traditional Chinese, Japanese and Korean, 11 strokes in mainland China, cangjie input 弓十人大 (NJOK) or 一十人大 (MJOK), four-corner 1814₀ or 1844₀, composition ⿰⿱乛耳攵(G) or ⿰⿱丅耳攵(HTJKV))

Derived characters

• 㒈, 噉, 𡑒, 㜟, 𢕭, 㦑, 撖, 澉, 㺖, 䧩, 𣊟, 橄, 瞰, 𥕵, 𥼲, 𦗪, 𦪧, 𧗐, 譀, 豃, 𧸂, 𨅺, 𮡜, 𨬒(𰾳), 𩍉, 䭛, 䲎, 𪉿(𬸹), 𡪯, 𭗐, 䆻, 𥴊, 𫶔, 憨, 饏, 𠣽, 𭅞, 𠪚, 𤺍, 嚴/𫿞(厳/严), 闞(阚), 鬫

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 472, character 26
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 13260
• Dae Jaweon: page 825, character 13
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1463, character 9
• Unihan data for U+6562

Chinese

trad.		敢
simp. #		敢
2nd round simp.		攼

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 敢
Western Zhou	Warring States
Bronze inscriptions	Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script

Characters in the same phonetic series (敢) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
撖	*kʰɯːm, *kʰreːmʔ, *ɡraːmʔ
澉	*l̥ʰaːms, *klaːmʔ
噉	*l'aːmʔ
敢	*klaːmʔ
橄	*klaːmʔ
瞰	*kʰlaːms
闞	*kʰlaːms, *qʰreːmʔ, *hŋraːms
憨	*qʰaːm, *qʰlaːms
譀	*qʰlaːms, *qʰraːms, *qʰraːb
巖	*ŋraːm
礹	*ŋraːm, *ŋamʔ
豃	*qʰraːmʔ
讝	*kjam
玁	*hŋramʔ
嚴	*ŋam
儼	*ŋamʔ
曮	*ŋamʔ
釅	*ŋams

In oracle bone script, ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) : Two hands 廾 holding a weapon 干 hunting a wild boar 豕.

In the Zhou dynasty one of the hands was removed and a phonetic component 甘 (OC *kaːm) was added. The boar shape got progressively corrupted until it looked like a hand 爫, making the character look like a phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *klaːmʔ) : semantic 爭 (“fight”) + phonetic 甘 (OC *kaːm).

The sound component 甘 and the weapon 干 merged into 古, leading to the seal script form 𠭖. Afterwards, the right half corrupted further into the modern ⿱𠃍耳.

Etymology

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s/m-wam (“to dare”) (Schuessler, 2007; STEDT).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): gǎn (gan³)

  (Zhuyin): ㄍㄢˇ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): gan³

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): gam²

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): gam²

• Gan (Wiktionary): gon³
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): kám / kam

  (Meixian, Guangdong): gam³

• Jin (Wiktionary): gan²
• Northern Min (KCR): gǒ̤ng
• Eastern Min (BUC): gāng
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): káⁿ / kám / kiám / kán

  (Teochew, Peng'im): gan²

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁵koe
• Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): gan³

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: gǎn
    • Zhuyin: ㄍㄢˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: gǎn
    • Wade–Giles: kan³
    • Yale: gǎn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: gaan
    • Palladius: гань (ganʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kän²¹⁴/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: gan³
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: gan
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kan⁵³/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: gam²
    • Yale: gám
    • Cantonese Pinyin: gam²
    • Guangdong Romanization: gem²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɐm³⁵/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: gam²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kam⁵⁵/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: gon³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɵn²¹³/
• Hakka
  • (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: kám
    • Hakka Romanization System: gam^ˋ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: gam³
    • Sinological IPA: /kam³¹/
  • (Southern Sixian, incl. Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: kám / kam
    • Hakka Romanization System: gam^ˋ / gam
    • Hagfa Pinyim: gam³ / gam⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /kam³¹/, /kam⁵⁵/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: gam³
    • Sinological IPA: /kam³¹/

Note: Southern Sixian kam - variant used for the rhetorical/interrogative adverb.

• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: gan²
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /kæ̃⁵³/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: gǒ̤ng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɔŋ²¹/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: gāng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kaŋ³³/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese, Singapore)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: káⁿ
    • Tâi-lô: kánn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: kvar
    • IPA (Singapore): /kã⁴²/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /kã⁵⁵⁴/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei): /kã⁵³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /kã⁴¹/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kám
    • Tâi-lô: kám
    • Phofsit Daibuun: karm
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei): /kam⁵³/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /kam⁵⁵⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /kam⁴¹/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kiám
    • Tâi-lô: kiám
    • Phofsit Daibuun: kiarm
    • IPA (Xiamen): /kiam⁵³/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kán
    • Tâi-lô: kán
    • Phofsit Daibuun: karn
    • IPA (Xiamen): /kan⁵³/

Note:

• káⁿ - vernacular (including the rhetorical adverb and "perhaps" in Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou);
• kám - literary (including the rhetorical adverb and "perhaps" in Xiamen, as well as the rhetorical/interrogative adverb in Taiwan);
• kiám/kán - variants used for the rhetorical adverb.

• (Teochew)
  • Peng'im: gan²
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: káⁿ
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kã⁵²/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁵koe
    • MiniDict: koe^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ²koe
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /kø³⁴/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: gan³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kan⁴¹/

---

• Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 敢
Mandarin	Beijing	/kan²¹⁴/
	Harbin	/kan²¹³/
	Tianjin	/kan¹³/
	Jinan	/kã⁵⁵/
	Qingdao	/kã⁵⁵/
	Zhengzhou	/kan⁵³/
	Xi'an	/kã⁵³/
	Xining	/kã⁵³/
	Yinchuan	/kan⁵³/
	Lanzhou	/kɛ̃n⁴⁴²/
	Ürümqi	/kan⁵¹/
	Wuhan	/kan⁴²/
	Chengdu	/kan⁵³/
	Guiyang	/kan⁴²/
	Kunming	/kã̠⁵³/
	Nanjing	/kaŋ²¹²/
	Hefei	/kæ̃²⁴/
Jin	Taiyuan	/kæ̃⁵³/
	Pingyao	/kɑŋ⁵³/
	Hohhot	/kæ̃⁵³/
Wu	Shanghai	/kø³⁵/
	Suzhou	/kø⁵¹/
	Hangzhou	/kẽ̞⁵³/
	Wenzhou	/ky³⁵/
Hui	Shexian	/kɛ³⁵/
	Tunxi	/kɛ³¹/
Xiang	Changsha	/kan⁴¹/
	Xiangtan	/kan⁴²/
Gan	Nanchang	/kɵn²¹³/
Hakka	Meixian	/kam³¹/
	Taoyuan	/kɑm³¹/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/kɐm³⁵/
	Nanning	/kam³⁵/
	Hong Kong	/kɐm³⁵/
Min	Xiamen (Hokkien)	/kam⁵³/ /kã⁵³/
	Fuzhou (Eastern Min)	/kaŋ³²/
	Jian'ou (Northern Min)	/kɔŋ²¹/
	Shantou (Teochew)	/kã⁵³/
	Haikou (Hainanese)	/ka²¹³/

---

• Middle Chinese: kamX

Rime
Character	敢
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	見 (28)
Final (韻)	談 (143)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	古覽切
Baxter	kamX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kɑmX/
Pan Wuyun	/kɑmX/
Shao Rongfen	/kɑmX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kamX/
Li Rong	/kɑmX/
Wang Li	/kɑmX/
Bernard Karlgren	/kɑmX/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	gǎn
Expected Cantonese Reflex	gam2

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[k]ˤamʔ/

  (Zhengzhang): /*klaːmʔ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	敢
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	gǎn
Middle Chinese	‹ kamX ›
Old Chinese	/*[k]ˁamʔ/
English	dare
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	敢
Reading #	1/1
No.	3674
Phonetic component	敢
Rime group	談
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	敢
Old Chinese	/*klaːmʔ/
Notes	說文從爪又，古聲，金文從爭甘聲， 此爲隸變

Definitions

敢

1. bold; brave; daring
2. to dare (to); to venture (to)

   我們必須敢想，敢說，敢幹。 [MSC, trad.]
   我们必须敢想，敢说，敢干。 [MSC, simp.]

   Wǒmen bìxū gǎn xiǎng, gǎn shuō, gǎn gàn. [Pinyin]

   We must dare to think, speak up and act.

   他不敢正眼看她。 [MSC, trad. and simp.]

   Tā bù gǎn zhèng yǎnkàn tā. [Pinyin]

   He didn't dare to look at her in the face.

   在那個風雨交加的夜晚，很少有人敢出去。 [MSC, trad.]
   在那个风雨交加的夜晚，很少有人敢出去。 [MSC, simp.]

   Zài nà ge fēngyǔ jiāojiā de yèwǎn, hěn shào yǒurén gǎn chūqù. [Pinyin]

   Very few people ventured to go out on that stormy night.

3. to be sure; to be certain; to bet; to presume

   敢肯定  ―  gǎn kěndìng  ―  to be sure, to be certain

   敢說／敢说  ―  gǎn shuō  ―  to be sure, to be certain

   我敢說你解決不了這個難題。 [MSC, trad.]
   我敢说你解决不了这个难题。 [MSC, simp.]

   Wǒ gǎn shuō nǐ jiějuébuliǎo zhè ge nántí. [Pinyin]

   I bet you can't do this puzzle.

4. (polite) may I venture

   敢問／敢问  ―  gǎn wèn  ―  may I ask

   • 敢問路在何方？路在腳下。 [MSC, trad.]
     敢问路在何方？路在脚下。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 1986, 閻肅 Yan Su (lyricist) & 許鏡清 Xu Jingqing (composer),《敢問路在何方》"Dare I ask where the road is?"

     Gǎn wèn lù zài héfāng? Lù zài jiǎoxià. [Pinyin]

     Dare I ask where the road is? The road is beneath our feet.

5. (literary or Hokkien, Teochew, Taiwanese Hakka, rhetorical question) can it be possible that; how

   alt. forms: 豈／岂 (qǐ)

   敢通按呢？ [Taiwanese Hokkien]  ―  Kám thang án-ne? [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]  ―  How could it be like this?

6. (archaic or Xiamen, Quanzhou and Zhangzhou Hokkien) perhaps
7. (Taiwanese Hokkien, Taiwanese Hakka) Interrogative adverb, placed before the verb to create a yes-no question.

   alt. forms: 咁 (hán), 甘 (gān), 干

   你敢有閒？／你敢有闲？ [Taiwanese Hokkien]  ―  Lí kám ū-êng? [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]  ―  Are you free?

Synonyms

• (can it be possible that):

Dialectal synonyms of 難道 (“could it be that; is it possible that”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		莫非, 豈, 莫不是
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		莫非, 豈, 難道, 莫不是
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	難道, 難不成, 甭
	Taiwan	難道, 難不成
Central Plains Mandarin	Xuzhou	難說
Cantonese	Guangzhou	唔通
	Hong Kong	唔通
	Taishan	唔成, 敢係, 唔得旨, 毋旨, 毋旨估
Hakka	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	無成, 敢講, 敢係
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	無成, 敢講, 敢係
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	無成, 敢講, 敢係
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	無成, 敢講, 敢會, 敢係
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	無成, 毋成, 敢講, 敢係
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	無敢, 敢講, 敢會, 敢係
Southern Min	Xiamen	敢, 總無
	Quanzhou	敢, 總無, 攏無
	Zhangzhou	敢, 總無
	Tainan	敢
	Manila (Hokkien)	敢
	Shantou	未是
	Jieyang	未是, 敢, 敢是
Wu	Shanghai	只勿
	Shanghai (Chongming)	難算得
Xiang	Changsha	冇過

See also

• 肯 (kěn)

Compounds

• 不敢 (bùgǎn)
• 不敢出氣／不敢出气
• 不敢則聲／不敢则声
• 不敢告勞／不敢告劳
• 不敢吭聲／不敢吭声
• 不敢妄言
• 不敢後人／不敢后人
• 不敢從命／不敢从命
• 不敢欺
• 不敢當／不敢当 (bùgǎndāng)
• 何敢 (hégǎn)
• 到敢
• 勇敢 (yǒnggǎn)
• 勇猛果敢
• 怕敢
• 愧不敢當／愧不敢当
• 敢且
• 敢作敢為／敢作敢为 (gǎnzuògǎnwéi)
• 敢作敢當／敢作敢当
• 敢保
• 敢做敢當／敢做敢当 (gǎnzuògǎndāng)
• 敢則／敢则
• 敢則是／敢则是
• 敢勇當先／敢勇当先
• 敢只是
• 敢問／敢问 (gǎnwèn)
• 敢待
• 敢怕
• 敢怒而不敢言
• 敢情
• 敢攀玉趾
• 敢於／敢于 (gǎnyú)
• 敢是
• 敢死 (gǎnsǐ)
• 敢死士
• 敢死軍／敢死军 (gǎnsǐjūn)
• 敢死隊／敢死队 (gǎnsǐduì)
• 敢當／敢当 (gǎndāng)
• 敢緊／敢紧
• 敢自 (gǎnzì)
• 敢若 (káⁿ-ná) (Min Nan)
• 敢莫是
• 敢言
• 敢請／敢请
• 未敢 (wèigǎn)
• 果敢 (guǒgǎn)
• 正色敢言
• 石敢當／石敢当 (shígǎndāng)
• 膽敢／胆敢 (dǎngǎn)
• 莫敢是
• 莫敢誰何／莫敢谁何 (mògǎn-shuíhé)
• 豈敢／岂敢 (qǐgǎn)
• 竟敢 (jìnggǎn)
• 鬼子敢爾／鬼子敢尔

 

Further reading

• “Entry #8439”, in 臺灣閩南語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwan Minnan] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2023.

Japanese

Kanji

敢

(Jōyō kanji)

1. daring, brave, bold
2. sad, tragic, pitiful

Readings

• Go-on: かん (kan, Jōyō)^{←かむ (kamu, historical)}
• Kan-on: かん (kan, Jōyō)^{←かむ (kamu, historical)}
• Kun: あえて (aete, 敢えて); あえない (aenai, 敢えない); あえず (aezu, 敢えず)

Etymology

Kanji in this term
敢
かん Grade: S
on'yomi

From Middle Chinese 敢 (MC kamX).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [kã̠ɴ]

Affix

敢(かん) • (kan) 

1. daring; brave; bold

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 敢行(かんこう) (kankō)
• 敢然(かんぜん) (kanzen)
• 敢闘(かんとう) (kantō)

Korean

Hanja

敢 (eumhun 감히 감 (gamhi gam))

1. hanja form^? of 감 (“dare”)

Vietnamese

Han character

敢: Hán Nôm readings: cám, cảm, dám

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.