CJK character 孱

It usually means weak, frail, or inferior.

Bronze inscriptions use 孱 in a personal name and a place name, but its original construction remains unclear. The Shuowen Jiezi, an early Chinese dictionary, describes it as 孨—three 子 signs—beneath 尸 and glosses it as cramped, with groaning as another gloss.

Chinese dictionaries also give 孱 senses such as small, cowardly, or carefully restrained; the passage decides which applies. Japanese dictionaries use it for weak, small, or inferior things too.

What does 孱头 mean?

It is a dialectal insult for a coward or weakling.

Aimed at a person, 孱头 judges them cowardly or incapable; it is not neutral feedback. It can land as a personal put-down, so avoid it in a formal note or with someone you do not know well.

The Mandarin reading changes with the compound: 孱弱 uses a rising tone, while 孱头 uses a sharp falling tone. 孱王 calls a ruler weak or ineffective in classical-style writing.

Why does 孱 look different in another font?

A regional form can look different and still represent 孱.

Regional reference charts display distinct forms for China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, and Korea as of 2026. Fonts can follow these regional conventions; a stroke or proportion change alone does not make a different character.