What does 敢 mean in Chinese?

敢 (gǎn) means "to dare; daring; (polite) may I venture" in Chinese. The new HSK exam tests it at HSK 4.

How do you pronounce 敢?

敢 is pronounced "gǎn" in Mandarin Chinese. The tone number is 3.

What HSK level is 敢?

敢 is an HSK 4 word on the new HSK exam syllabus. It is HSK 3 on the old exam, HSK 4 on the new one.

What words contain the character 敢?

Common words with 敢 include 勇敢 (brave), 敢于 (to have the courage to do sth), 不敢当 (lit. I dare not (accept the honor); fig. I don't deserve your praise), 敢情 (actually), 敢为 (to dare to do).

How do you write 敢?

You can practice writing 敢 using our stroke order tool.

敢 (gǎn), to dare

敢

gǎn

to dare; daring; (polite) may I venture

HSK 4 Was HSK 3verb

Character Breakdown

Radical: 攴 (no. 66)

View stroke order →

Definitions

(verb) to dare
daring
(polite) may I venture

Example Sentences

我不敢一个人去。

Wǒ bù gǎn yí gè rén qù

I don't dare to go alone

Words Containing 敢

Word	Pinyin	Meaning	HSK
勇敢	yǒng gǎn	brave	HSK 4
敢于	gǎn yú	to have the courage to do sth	HSK 5
不敢当	bù gǎn dāng	lit. I dare not (accept the honor); fig. I don't deserve your praise	HSK 7-9
敢情	gǎn qing	actually

→

不敢越雷池一步(bù gǎn yuè Léi chí yī bù)· dare not go one step beyond the prescribed limit

→

不敢高攀(bù gǎn gāo pān)· lit. not dare to pull oneself up high (humble term)

→

勇于(yǒng yú)· to dare to

→

HSK levels

New HSK exam: HSK 4
HSK 2.0: HSK 3
HSK Lord study list: HSK 3 list

敢: HSK 3 on the old exam, HSK 4 on the new one. See where your old level lands

New exam levels follow the CLEC syllabus released 15 November 2025. The first official sitting is announced for 13 December 2026. HSK 7-9 is one advanced band.

On the new HSK 4 exam

Studying for HSK 4? Keep 敢 with the rest of your level.

HSK Lord schedules your reviews so each character comes back right before you would forget it. Free to start, and it picks up where you are.

Start studying free The words new HSK 4 adds

Frequently Asked Questions

Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.

敢