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Chinese words starting with “can”

25 words in our HSK vocabulary start with the syllable can. They are sorted by how common they are, so the ones you are most likely to meet come first. The 3 most useful of them have their own page — they are listed first below.

Initial c · final an · hear the four tones and see example characters →

  • 1st tone 12
  • 2nd tone 8
  • 3rd tone 4
  • 4th tone 1

Word counts by tone are counted on the first syllable of each word.

Common words with this syllable

All 25 words

#WordPinyinPOSMeaningStudy list
1餐cāng,qvmeal; to eat; classifier for meals
2餐厅cān tīngndining hall; dining room; restaurant
3惨cǎna,admiserable; wretched; cruel; inhuman; disastrous; tragic; dim; gloomy
4参赛cān sàiv,vnto compete; to take part in a competition
5残cána,gto destroy; to spoil; to ruin; to injure; cruel; oppressive; savage; brutal; incomplete; disabled; to remain; to survive; remnant; surplus
6残酷cán kùa,ad,ancruel; cruelty
7残忍cán rěna,ancruel; mean; merciless; ruthless
8餐馆cān guǎnnrestaurant
9参考cān kǎov,vnconsultation; reference; to consult; to refer
10灿烂càn lànato glitter; brilliant; splendid
11残疾人cán jí rénndisabled person
12残留cán liúvn,vto remain; to be left over; residual; remnant; residue
13残疾cán jíndisabled; handicapped; deformity on a person or animal
14餐桌cān zhuōndining table; dinner table
15惭愧cán kuìa,anashamed
16餐饮cān yǐnnfood and beverage; catering; repast
17参照cān zhàov,vnto consult a reference; to refer to (another document)
18参军cān jūnvto join the army
19惨重cǎn zhòngadisastrous
20参见cān jiànvto refer to; see also; compare (cf.); to pay respect to
21参谋cān móunstaff officer; to give advice
22惨痛cǎn tòngabitter; painful; deeply distressed
23残缺cán quēv,vnbadly damaged; shattered
24参展cān zhǎnvn,vto exhibit at or take part in a trade show etc
25惨白cǎn báizdeathly pale

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