干

幹
gàn
HSK 5
#353 most
frequent character
to work, to do, to manage
verb

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

干 is a drawing of a hunting or military tool, so its first meaning was that tool. It grew to mean 'shield', then 'to interfere'. Later the same written form was borrowed for 'celestial stem' and for 'dry', just for its sound. In simplified Chinese it also stands for 幹 gàn 'to work' and 乾 gān 'to dry'.

Drawn as: hunting or military tool

干 as a component in other characters

meaning1 character
刊
sound19 characters
赶岸刊汗肝奸杆罕轩旱竿鼾秆矸酐旰
picture4 characters
奸罕讦顸

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Example Sentences

我每天都要干很多事情。
wǒ měitiān dūyào gān hěnduō shìqíng 。
I have to do a lot of things every day.
你今天干什么工作？
nǐ jīntiān gànshénme gōngzuò ？
What work are you doing today?
他总是干得很好。
tā zǒngshì gāndé hěnhǎo 。
He always does very well.

Same Characters, Different Readings

干gān
do
干Gan1
surname Gan
干gān
do
干gān
do
干Gan1
surname Gan
干gān
do

Words with similar meanings

做zuò
to do
A more common and colloquial term that often implies a simpler or more everyday action.
执行zhíxíng
to execute
A more formal term that suggests carrying out a plan or task with a sense of authority.

Words Starting With 干

干活儿gàn huó r
to work; manual labor
干劲gàn jìn
enthusiasm for doing sth

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Public Lists with 干

Daily Routines
Verbs and nouns related to waking up, chores, personal care, and daily life.
HSK 5
All words for the HSK 5 test
Basic Verbs
Core action verbs like 'go,' 'come,' 'eat,' 'see,' commonly encountered in HSK.
Workplace & Office
Meetings, reports, colleagues, office tools, schedules, HR terms.
Job Hunting & Careers
Resumes, interviews, job ads, promotions, career development.