How to write 慢 (màn, “slow”)

慢 (màn), an HSK 2 character, means “slow”. It is HSK 2 in the 2025 syllabus, up from level 1 in the 2021 standard. It pairs a meaning part, 忄 (“heart”), with a sound part, 曼 (“handsome”). On its own it is an HSK 2 word; it also forms 缓慢 (“slow”), 傲慢 (“arrogant”) and 慢性 (“slow and patient”). Japanese reads it man, “ridicule”, as a JLPT N1 kanji.

Pinyin: màn
Strokes: 14
HSK: 2
Radical: 忄 (“heart”)

Stroke by stroke

As a left-right character it splits into 忄 (“heart”, the radical), strokes 1–3; 曼 (“handsome”), strokes 4–14, written the left part first.

top leftdownwards
top leftdown and right
top leftdownwards
topdownwards
toprightwards → downwards
toprightwards
toprightwards
centerdownwards
centerrightwards → downwards
centerdownwards
centerdown and right → downwards
centerrightwards
centerrightwards → down and left
bottomdown and right

Names of the strokes

Japanese and Chinese

The two models differ in shape, so our comparison does not claim an order; compare the numbered frames yourself (14 strokes in Japanese, 14 strokes in Chinese).

Japanese · KanjiVG · 14 strokes

Chinese · Make Me a Hanzi · 14 strokes

Where 慢 comes from

heart

Meaning part: 忄 (“heart”)
Sound part: 曼 (“handsome”)

Trace it

Follow the numbers. Tracing help

Pinyin and meaning

Pinyin	Meanings	Traditional	In words
màn fourth tone	slow	—	缓慢傲慢慢性怠慢

HSK 2025 syllabus: level 2
2021 standard: level 1
HSK 2.0: in a level 2 word
Words with it: 58 in CC-CEDICT

Words with 慢

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
慢	màn	slow HSK 2
缓慢緩慢	huǎnmàn	slow; unhurried HSK 5
傲慢	àomàn	arrogant; haughty HSK 7-9
慢性	mànxìng	slow and patient; chronic (disease) HSK 7-9
怠慢	dàimàn	to slight; to neglect HSK 7-9
慢火	mànhuǒ	low heat (cooking)
慢热慢熱	mànrè	slow to heat up; reserved
慢班	mànbān	remedial stream
慢说慢說	mànshuō	not to mention ...
慢车慢車	mànchē	local bus or train; slow train with many stops

HSK words first (CC-CEDICT).

Practice sheet

Print at 100%. Several characters: worksheet maker.

Keep going

HSK 2, in list order: