汗
sweat; perspiration
hàn
What does 汗 mean?
汗 (hàn) is a noun meaning sweat or perspiration — the moisture the body releases through the skin when hot, exercising, or nervous. It appears in everyday phrases like 出汗 'to sweat,' 流汗 'to perspire (drip sweat),' and 一身汗 'covered in sweat.' Unlike English, which uses different verbs ('to sweat') and nouns ('sweat'), Chinese keeps 汗 as the noun and pairs it with verbs like 出 or 流 to express the action. Note the falling fourth tone hàn (the seed 'hán' is incorrect; hán with a rising tone would be the surname 韩 or 'cold' 寒).
In modern internet slang, a lone 汗 or 我汗了 conveys embarrassment or being speechless, echoing an awkward nervous sweat — much like the English emoji reaction. Register is neutral. Compare 出汗 (the verb-object 'to sweat') and 汗水 (a slightly more literary word for sweat, often with a nuance of hard toil).
Character breakdown
sweat (water radical 氵 + 干 for sound)
Memory hook: The water radical 氵 on the left plus 干 (gān) — water coming out of you: sweat.
Measure word for 汗
Example sentences
跑完步，我出了一身汗。
Pǎo wán bù, wǒ chū le yì shēn hàn.
After running, I was covered in sweat.
spoken
天太热了，他满头大汗。
Tiān tài rè le, tā mǎn tóu dà hàn.
It's so hot he's dripping with sweat.
spoken
运动出汗对身体有好处。
Yùndòng chū hàn duì shēntǐ yǒu hǎochù.
Sweating from exercise is good for the body.
neutral
这份成绩是他多年汗水换来的。
Zhè fèn chéngjì shì tā duō nián hànshuǐ huàn lái de.
This achievement was earned through years of his sweat.
written
Common phrases with 汗
Synonyms
汗水 is a slightly more literary, two-syllable word for sweat, often used figuratively for hard work and toil (汗水换来成功 'success earned through sweat'). Plain 汗 is the everyday word for the physical sweat itself.
Don't confuse 汗 with
汉 (with the 又 element instead of 干) means Han (as in 汉语 Chinese language, 汉族 Han ethnicity). Same pinyin hàn but completely different meaning and character. Don't mix up 汗 (sweat) and 汉 (Han).
FAQ
Acquire by listening
Hear 汗 in real Chinese, not in a flashcard.
Fluentide picks the next news episode at your level, so this word shows up again and again in real sentences. Pinyin, translation, and the episode where you heard it — every time. Free to start, no card.