干

See also: 乾, 幹, 于, 午, 千, 半, and 榦

干	U+5E72, 干 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5E72

← 幱
[U+5E71]

CJK Unified Ideographs

平 →
[U+5E73]

⼲	U+2F32, ⼲ KANGXI RADICAL DRY

← ⼱
[U+2F31]

Kangxi Radicals

⼳ →
[U+2F33]

Translingual[edit]

Stroke order

Stroke order

References[edit]

Kangxi Dictionary: page 339, character 1
Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 9165
Dae Jaweon: page 645, character 22
Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 405, character 5
Unihan data for U+5E72

Chinese[edit]

Glyph origin[edit]

Historical forms of the character 干
Shang	Western Zhou	Warring States	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

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

	Old Chinese
訐	krads, krads, ked, kad
肝	*kaːn
竿	*kaːn
干	*kaːn
奸	*kaːn
玕	*kaːn
汗	kaːn, ɡaːn, *ɡaːns
迀	*kaːn
忓	kaːn, ɡaːns
鳱	*kaːn
邗	kaːn, ɡaːn
秆	*kaːnʔ
矸	kaːnʔ, kaːns, *ɡaːns
仠	*kaːnʔ
皯	*kaːnʔ
衦	*kaːnʔ
簳	*kaːnʔ
擀	*kaːnʔ
旰	*kaːns
盰	*kaːns
幹	*kaːns
杆	*kaːns
骭	kaːns, ɡraːns
桿	*kaːnʔ
趕	*kaːnʔ
稈	*kaːnʔ
刊	*kʰaːn
靬	kʰaːn, kʰaːns, kreːn, kan
衎	kʰaːnʔ, kʰaːns
犴	ŋaːn, ŋaːns
豻	ŋaːn, ŋaːns, ɦŋaːns, ŋ̊ʰraːn
頇	ŋaːns, hŋaːn, *ŋaːd
岸	*ŋɡaːns
鼾	qʰaːn, ɢaːns
罕	qʰaːnʔ, qʰaːns
焊	qʰaːnʔ, ɡaːns
蔊	*qʰaːnʔ
虷	*ɡaːn
旱	*ɡaːnʔ
皔	*ɡaːnʔ
釬	*ɡaːns
扞	*ɡaːns
閈	*ɡaːns
馯	ɡaːns, kʰraːn
捍	ɡaːns, ɡraːnʔ
悍	*ɡaːns
銲	*ɡaːns
垾	*ɡaːns
駻	*ɡaːns
睅	*ɡʷranʔ
娨	*ɡraːns
飦	*kan
赶	ɡan, ɡʷad
軒	*qʰan
蓒	*qʰan
酐	*qʰaːŋʔ
澣	*ɡʷaːnʔ

Pictogram (象形) – a pestle or a weapon, since it can mean "shield" (午, which is similar, is a pestle).

Also borrowed phonetically as a simplification of 乾 (dry) and 幹.

Etymology 1[edit]

simp. and trad.		干
alternative forms		𬼽

Sino-Tibetan. Cognate with 扞 (OC *ɡaːns, “to shield; to protect”), 閈 (OC *ɡaːns, “gate”). Compare Tibetan འགལ ('gal, “to go against, to violate, to contradict”), Burmese ကာ (ka, “shield; to shield; to block”).

Pronunciation 1[edit]

Mandarin
(Pinyin): gān (gan¹)

(Zhuyin): ㄍㄢ
Cantonese (Jyutping): gon¹
Hakka (Sixian, PFS): kôn
Jin (Wiktionary): gan¹
Northern Min (KCR): gúing
Eastern Min (BUC): găng
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): kan

(Teochew, Peng'im): gang¹
Wu (Wugniu)
- (Northern): ¹koe

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: gān
  - Zhuyin: ㄍㄢ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: gan
  - Wade–Giles: kan¹
  - Yale: gān
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: gan
  - Palladius: гань (ganʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kän⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: gon¹
  - Yale: gōn
  - Cantonese Pinyin: gon¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: gon¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɔːn⁵⁵/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: kôn
  - Hakka Romanization System: gon´
  - Hagfa Pinyim: gon¹
  - Sinological IPA: /kon²⁴/
Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: gan¹
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /kæ̃¹¹/
Northern Min
- (Jian'ou)
  - Kienning Colloquial Romanized: gúing
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kuiŋ⁵⁴/
Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: găng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kaŋ⁵⁵/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kan
  - Tâi-lô: kan
  - Phofsit Daibuun: kafn
  - IPA (Xiamen): /kan⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /kan³³/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /kan⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Taipei): /kan⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /kan⁴⁴/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: gang¹
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: kang
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kaŋ³³/
Wu
- (Shanghai, Suzhou)
  - Wugniu: ¹koe
  - MiniDict: koe^平
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹koe
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /kø⁵³/
  - Sinological IPA (Suzhou): /kø⁴⁴/

Middle Chinese: kan

Rime
Character	干
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	見 (28)
Final (韻)	寒 (61)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	古寒切
Baxter	kan
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kɑn/
Pan Wuyun	/kɑn/
Shao Rongfen	/kɑn/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kan/
Li Rong	/kɑn/
Wang Li	/kɑn/
Bernard Karlgren	/kɑn/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	gān
Expected Cantonese Reflex	gon¹

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*[k]ˤar/, /*kˤa[r]/, /*kˤar/

(Zhengzhang): /*kaːn/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	干	干	干	干
Reading #	1/4	2/4	3/4	4/4
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	gān	gān	gān	gān
Middle Chinese	‹ kan ›	‹ kan ›	‹ kan ›	‹ kan ›
Old Chinese	/*[k]ˁar/	/*kˁa[r]/	/*kˁar/	/*kˁar/
English	pole	shield (n.)	piece, item	(placename)
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	干
Reading #	1/1
No.	3570
Phonetic component	干
Rime group	元
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	干
Old Chinese	/*kaːn/

Definitions[edit]

干

to concern; to be implicated in; implication
這事與我無干。 [MSC, trad.]
这事与我无干。 [MSC, simp.]
Zhè shì yǔ wǒ wú gān. [Pinyin]
It has nothing to do with me.
^† a shield
- 形天與帝至此（奇肱之國）爭神，帝斷其首，葬之長羊之山。乃以乳為目，以臍為口，操干戚以舞。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
  形天与帝至此（奇肱之国）争神，帝断其首，葬之长羊之山。乃以乳为目，以脐为口，操干戚以舞。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
  From: The Classic of Mountains and Seas
  Xíngtiān yǔ dì zhì cǐ (jī gōng zhī guó) zhēng shén, dì duàn qí shǒu, zàng zhī chángyáng zhī shān. Nǎi yǐ rǔ wéi mù, yǐ qí wéi kǒu, cāo gān qī yǐ wǔ. [Pinyin]
  When Xingtian fought with the Supreme Deity there (the land of people with odd/uneven upper-arms), the Supreme Deity decapitated him and buried his head at Changyang Mountain. [But Xingtian's] nipples became his eyes, his belly button became his mouth and the thrusting of his shield and battle-axe became his dance.
^† to request; to ask
^† to offend; to encroach on
^† to interfere; to intervene
^† bank; edge of water bodies
江干 ― jiānggān ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

河干 ― hégān ― river bank
8th tetragram of the Taixuanjing; "opposition" (𝌍)
Short for 天干 (tiāngān, “heavenly stem”).
group (of people)
一干人 ― yī gān rén ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)
A place in modern Yangzhou.
Synonym: 邗 (Hán)

干越夷貉之子，生而同聲，長而異俗，教使之然也。 [MSC, trad.]
干越夷貉之子，生而同声，长而异俗，教使之然也。 [MSC, simp.]
Gānyuè yíhé zhī zǐ, shēng ér tóng shēng, cháng ér yì sú, jiào shǐ zhī rán yě. [Pinyin]
(please add an English translation of this usage example)
Alternative form of 乾／干 (“dry”)
Alternative form of 澗／涧 (jiàn, “brook; stream”)
Alternative form of 矸 (“rock”)
a surname
(Mainland China Hokkien) in vain; for nothing

Synonyms[edit]

(in vain): 白 (bái)

Compounds[edit]

一干
不干 (bùgān)
不氣干
不相干 (bùxiānggān)
不肯干休
丹干
何干 (hégān)
俠氣干雲／侠气干云
倒持干戈 (dàochí gāngē)
倒置干戈
倒載干戈
冇相干 (Cantontese)
刺干
加拉干達
動干戈
十干 (shígān)
善罷干休
塔什庫爾干／塔什库尔干 (Tǎshíkù'ěrgān)
塔克拉瑪干 (Tǎkèlāmǎgān)
大動干戈
天干 (tiāngān)
天干地支
奉干
射干 (yègān)
布干維爾／布干维尔 (Bùgānwéi'ěr)
干云蔽日 (“tall trees covering the sun”)
干仕
干伏
干休 (gānxiū)
干係 (gānxì, “implication”)
干卿何事 (gān...héshì)
干卿底事
干名犯義
干名采譽
干呆
干城
干寶
干將 (Gānjiāng)
干將莫邪 (gānjiāng-mòyé)
干惹
干戈 (gāngē, “weapons of war”)
干戈載戢
干戚
干擾 (gānrǎo, “to interfere”)
干擾素 (gānrǎosù, “interferon”)
干支 (gānzhī, “the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches”)
干政 (gānzhèng)
干旄
干時
干樂 (kan-lo̍k) (Min Nan)
干櫓
干求
干涉 (gānshè, “to intervene”)
干涉現象 (“interference”)
干澤
干瀆
干焦 (kan-na) (Min Nan)
干犯 (gānfàn, “to encroach on”)
干礙
干祿
干紀
干累
干結
干罰
干罷
干羽
干與 (gānyù, “to intervene”)
干請
干謁
干證 (“witness”)
干證人
干譽
干貝 (gānbèi)
干連 (“implication”)
干進
干雲
干雲蔽日
干青雲
干預 (gānyù, “to intervene”)
干鳥
干鳥氣／干鸟气
干黷
德干高原
擔干係／担干系
擔干紀／担干纪
斯干
日干
更待干罷
朱干玉戚
東干 (Dōnggān)
染干
欄干 (lángān)
比干
毫不相干
江干
沽名干譽
烏干達／乌干达 (Wūgāndá)
無干 (wúgān)
無相干 (Teochew, Hainanese)
白干
相干 (xiānggān)
矯情干譽／矫情干誉
義氣干霄／义气干霄
耽干繫
若干
莫干山 (Mògān Shān)
薩利吉勒干南庫勒／萨利吉勒干南库勒 (Sàlìjílègānnánkùlè)
蘭干 (Lángān)
豆干 (dòugān)
豆腐干 (dòufugān)
豪氣干雲／豪气干云
邪不干正 (xiébùgānzhèng)
鐵干里克 (Tiěgānlǐkè)
長干巷
長干曲
闌干 (lángān)
陰干
非意相干

Pronunciation 2[edit]

Mandarin
(Pinyin): gàn (gan⁴)

(Zhuyin): ㄍㄢˋ

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: gàn
  - Zhuyin: ㄍㄢˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: gàn
  - Wade–Giles: kan⁴
  - Yale: gàn
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: gann
  - Palladius: гань (ganʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kän⁵¹/

Definitions[edit]

干

to defend
to establish

Descendants[edit]

→ Lao: ກັນ (kan)
→ Shan: ၵၼ် (kǎn)
→ Tai Dam: ꪀꪽ
→ Thai: กัน (gan)

Etymology 2[edit]

For pronunciation and definitions of 干 – see 乾 (“dry; moistureless; waterless; arid; to dry; to exhaust; etc.”). (This character is the simplified and variant form of 乾).
Notes: Simplified Chinese is mainly used in Mainland China, Malaysia, and Singapore. Traditional Chinese is mainly used in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

Etymology 3[edit]

For pronunciation and definitions of 干 – see 幹 (“main part of something; body; trunk; to do; etc.”). (This character is the simplified form of 幹).
Notes: Simplified Chinese is mainly used in Mainland China, Malaysia, and Singapore. Traditional Chinese is mainly used in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

Etymology 4[edit]

For pronunciation and definitions of 干 – see 豻 (“a kind of wild dog from northern China, resembling a fox with a black snout; etc.”). (This character is a variant form of 豻).

Etymology 5[edit]

For pronunciation and definitions of 干 – see 贛 (“Gan River; Jiangxi, a province of China.; etc.”). (This character is the second-round simplified form of 贛).
Notes: Simplified Chinese is mainly used in Mainland China, Malaysia, and Singapore. Traditional Chinese is mainly used in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

Japanese[edit]

Kanji[edit]

干

(grade 6 “Kyōiku” kanji)

Readings[edit]

Go-on: かん (kan, Jōyō)
Kan-on: かん (kan, Jōyō)
Kun: ほす (hosu, 干す, Jōyō); ひる (hiru, 干る, Jōyō); たて (tate, 干); おかす (okasu, 干す)

Compounds[edit]

干(たて)城(き) (tateki)

Etymology 1[edit]

Kanji in this term
干
かん Grade: 6
on’yomi

From Middle Chinese 干 (MC kan).

Pronunciation[edit]

IPA^(key): [kã̠ɴ]

Affix[edit]

干(かん) • (kan)

shield
interfere, invade

Derived terms[edit]

shield

干(かん)戈(か) (kanka)

interfere, invade

Etymology 2[edit]

Kanji in this term
干
かん Grade: 6
on’yomi

Alternative spelling
旱

干 is a daiyōji replacing 旱.

Pronunciation[edit]

IPA^(key): [kã̠ɴ]

Affix[edit]

干(かん) • (kan)

dry

Derived terms[edit]

Etymology 3[edit]

Kanji in this term
干
ひ Grade: 6
on’yomi

Alternative spelling
乾

Pronunciation[edit]

(Tokyo) ひ [híꜜ] (Atamadaka – [1])^[1]
IPA^(key): [çi]

Noun[edit]

干(ひ) • (hi)

(prefixed to nouns) dry

Derived terms[edit]

干(ひ)物(もの) (himono)