险 xiǎn — danger (ous); rugged
山路很陡，开车要小心危险。Shān lù hěn dǒu, kāi chē yào xiǎo xīn wēi xiǎn.The mountain road is steep; drive carefully to avoid danger.
Common words: 危险 (wēi xiǎn)、保险 (bǎo xiǎn)、风险 (fēng xiǎn)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "danger"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "danger", including 险 (xiǎn), 危 (wēi), 患 (huàn). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "danger" covers 3 different Chinese characters — 险 (xiǎn), 危 (wēi), 患 (huàn) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 3 characters do not share a sound — their readings span xiǎn, wēi, huàn — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 险 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 险 xiǎndanger (ous); ruggedUseful words: 危险, 保险
- 危 wēidanger; to endangerUseful words: 危险, 危害
- 患 huànmisfortune; suffer (from illness); trouble; danger; worry; to contract (a disease)Useful words: 患者, 隐患
Common words for these 3 "danger" characters
Anchor each of these 3 characters in a word you can picture — start with 险 (xiǎn) — so "danger" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
危险wēi xiǎndanger; dangerous保险bǎo xiǎninsurance; to insure; safe; secure风险fēng xiǎnrisk; hazard危险wēi xiǎndanger; dangerous危害wēi hàito harm; to jeopardize; to endanger; harmful effect危机wēi jīcrisis患者huàn zhěpatient; sufferer隐患yǐn huàna danger concealed within sth; hidden damage; misfortune not visible from the surface患有huàn yǒuto contract (an illness); to be afflicted with; to suffer from
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 3 ways to say "danger".
危 wēi — danger; to endanger
病人已经脱离了危险。Bìng rén yǐ jīng tuō lí le wēi xiǎn.The patient is now out of danger.
Common words: 危险 (wēi xiǎn)、危害 (wēi hài)、危机 (wēi jī)
患 huàn — misfortune; suffer (from illness); trouble; danger; worry; to contract (a disease)
爷爷患了感冒，正在吃药。Yé ye huàn le gǎn mào, zhèng zài chī yào.Grandpa caught a cold and is taking medicine.
Common words: 患者 (huàn zhě)、隐患 (yǐn huàn)、患有 (huàn yǒu)
All 3 characters
Open 险、危、患 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.