敢 gǎn dare
dare; dares
How to remember 敢: 乛 cap + 耳 ear + 攵 tap = dare. Pulling her cap down over one ear, the little girl gives the pony's neck a gentle tap and whispers "Now I dare."
Component breakdown
敢 = 乛 cap + 耳 ear + 攵 tap
- 乛 cap
- 耳 ear
- 攵 tap
Pulling her cap down over one ear, the little girl gives the pony's neck a gentle tap and whispers "Now I dare."
How it came to be
A hand reaching in and closing on something it has no business taking. The oldest forms draw the grab plainly; what makes it daring is that the thing being taken is somebody else's.
How it is used
- To dare - 我不敢说 (wǒ bù gǎn shuō) I dare not say, 你敢试试吗 (nǐ gǎn shìshi ma) do you dare try?
- It is an auxiliary verb, placed before the main verb, negated with 不敢.
- 勇敢 (yǒnggǎn) brave; 敢于 (gǎnyú) 'have the courage to' is more formal.
Characters built with 敢
Words with 敢
Example sentences
- 我不敢游泳。 Wǒ bù gǎn yóuyǒng.I'm afraid to swim.
- 小男孩很勇敢。 Xiǎo nánhái hěn yǒnggǎn.The small boy is very courageous.