敢 gǎn

敢(gǎn)means “dare to: have the courage to”. 敢 before a verb means to have the nerve or courage to do it. Formation: 敢 + 动词(否定:不敢)

dare to: have the courage to

HSK3

Formation

敢 + 动词(否定:不敢)

Explanation

敢 before a verb means to have the nerve or courage to do it. It is most common in the negative 不敢 ('dare not') and in questions. It needs no particle — just 敢 + verb.

Examples

我不 敢 一个人去。
wǒ bù gǎn yí gè rén qù.
I don't dare to go alone.
你 敢 说真话吗?
nǐ gǎn shuō zhēnhuà ma?
Do you dare to tell the truth?

Note

Very often used in the negative 不敢. Formal writing also uses 敢于.

FAQ

敢 — what does it mean and how is it used?

dare to: have the courage to. 敢 before a verb means to have the nerve or courage to do it. It is most common in the negative 不敢 ('dare not') and in questions. It needs no particle — just 敢 + verb.

敢 — how do you form it?

敢 + 动词(否定:不敢)

敢 — any usage notes?

Very often used in the negative 不敢. Formal writing also uses 敢于.

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