Usage of the character 干

dried food (including dried fruits, mushrooms and seafoods such as shrimp and abalone)
(fig.) (coll.) knowledge presented in readily assimilable form
just what you want to know: no more, no less (no 水分 (shuǐfēn))

zhuǎngàn

转干

[轉幹]

to become a cadre (e.g. a promotion from shopfloor)

gānxuǎn

干癣

[乾癬]

psoriasis

gànfàn

干饭

[幹飯]

(coll.) to have a meal

lènggàn

愣干

[愣幹]

to do things recklessly
to persist in doing sth in one's own way

gànjìn

干劲

[幹勁]

enthusiasm for doing sth

nénggàn

能干

[能幹]

capable
competent

gànmá

干嘛

[幹嘛]

what are you doing?
whatever for?
why on earth?

gàncái

干材

[幹材]

capability
capable person

tígàn

提干

[提幹]

to rise through the ranks (as a party cadre)

gānsè

干涩

[乾澀]

dry and rough (skin)
hoarse (voice)
dry and heavy (style)

gànjǐng

干警

[幹警]

police
police cadres

měnggàn

猛干

[猛幹]

to tie in to

gānháo

干嚎

[乾嚎]

to cry out loud without tears

Gānyì

干邑

[干邑]

Cognac
brandy 白蘭地／白兰地 (báilándì) from the Cognac region of southwest France

gānfàn

干饭

[乾飯]

plain cooked rice (as opposed to rice porridge)

shègān

射干

[射干]

blackberry lily (Belamcanda chinensis)
leopard lily

gàndiào

干掉

[幹掉]

to get rid of

diàogàn

调干

[調幹]

to reassign a cadre
to choose a worker to be promoted to cadre

shígàn

实干

[實幹]

to work industriously
to get things done

gànliàn

干练

[幹練]

capable and experienced

Gān Bǎo

干宝

[干寶]

Gan Bao (?-336), Chinese historian and writer, author of In Search of the Supernatural 搜神記／搜神记 ( Sōushén Jì)

gānliú

干馏

[乾餾]

to carbonize
dry distillation
carbonization

kūgān

枯干

[枯乾]

dried up; shriveled; withered

gànxiàn

干线

[幹線]

main line
trunk line

dòugān

豆干

[豆干]

pressed tofu; dried tofu (ingredient of Chinese cuisine made by pressing, drying and flavoring tofu to produce a firm chewy block, typically cut into thin strips when preparing a dish)

fēnggān

风干

[風乾]

to air-dry
to season (timber etc)
air-dried
air-drying

gànliú

干流

[幹流]

main stream (of a river)

dāngàn

单干

[單幹]

to work on one's own
to work single-handed
individual farming

xiānggān

相干

[相干]

relevant
to have to do with
(physics) (of light etc) coherent

bèigān

焙干

[焙乾]

to dry over a fire
to roast

gānjìng

干净

[乾淨]

clean
neat

Jiānggān

江干

[江干]

Jianggan District of Hangzhou city 杭州市 ( Hángzhōushì), Zhejiang

qūgàn

躯干

[軀幹]

trunk
torso

gànshi

干事

[幹事]

administrator
executive secretary

gānyī

干衣

[乾衣]

drysuit (diving)

qiánggàn

强干

[強幹]

competent
capable

gānbīng

干冰

[乾冰]

dry ice (i.e. frozen CO2)
CL:塊／块 (kuài)

gānkě

干渴

[乾渴]

parched
dry mouth

gānguō

干锅

[乾鍋]

dry pot, a type of dish in which ingredients are wok-fried, then served hot in a clay pot or on a metal pan

gān'ǒu

干呕

[乾嘔]

to retch

Bǐgān

比干

[比干]

Bi Gan (Chinese god of wealth)

xiāgān

虾干

[蝦乾]

dried shrimps

gānniáng

干娘

[乾娘]

adoptive mother (traditional adoption, i.e. without legal ramifications)

gānbēi

干杯

[乾杯]

to drink a toast
Cheers! (proposing a toast)
Here's to you!
Bottoms up!
lit. dry cup

ruògān

若干

[若干]

a certain number or amount
how many?
how much?

gānyè

干叶

[乾葉]

dried leaf

shàigān

晒干

[曬乾]

to dry in the sun

Yúgān

余干

[餘干]

Yugan county in Shangrao 上饒／上饶, Jiangxi

shěngàn

审干

[審幹]

to examine the cadres (i.e. 審查幹部／审查干部 (shěnchágànbù))

gānxiū

干休

[干休]

to let matters rest

zhīgàn

枝干

[枝幹]

branch
limb (of a tree)

dàgàn

大干

[大幹]

to go all out
to work energetically

gāngē

干戈

[干戈]

weapons of war
arms

gānzhī

干支

[干支]

the ten Heavenly Stems 十天干 (shítiāngān) and twelve earthly branches 十二枝
sexagenary cycle

gànhuà

干话

[幹話]

(Tw) (slang) remark that sounds like it makes sense but is actually nonsense

to disturb
to interfere
perturbation
interference (physics)

liànggān

晾干

[晾乾]

to dry (sth) by airing

bǐnggān

饼干

[餅乾]

biscuit; cracker; cookie
CL:片 (piàn),塊／块 (kuài)

gānshuǎng

干爽

[乾爽]

dry and clean
clear and fresh

gànzhàng

干仗

[幹仗]

to quarrel (dialect)

gàncái

干才

[幹才]

ability
capable

gānliè

干裂

[乾裂]

(of dry soil etc) to crack; (of skin) to chap

gānyù

干与

[干與]

variant of 干預／干预 (gānyù)

gānmā

干妈

[乾媽]

adoptive mother (traditional adoption, i.e. without legal ramifications)

hōnggān

烘干

[烘乾]

to dry over a stove

jīnggàn

茎干

[莖幹]

stem
stalk

cāgān

擦干

[擦乾]

to wipe dry

hégān

何干

[何干]

what business?

gānbèi

干贝

[乾貝]

conpoy
dried scallop

zhǔgàn

主干

[主幹]

trunk
main
core

gànqú

干渠

[幹渠]

trunk canal

gānhàn

干旱

[乾旱]

drought
arid
dry

gànhuó

干活

[幹活]

to work; to be employed

gōnggàn

公干

[公幹]

public business
official work

gānyù

干预

[干預]

to meddle
to intervene
intervention

chuīgān

吹干

[吹乾]

to blow-dry

tiāngān

天干

[天干]

the 10 heavenly stems 甲 (jiǎ), 乙 (yǐ), 丙 (bǐng), 丁 (dīng), 戊 (wù), 己 (jǐ), 庚 (gēng), 辛 (xīn), 壬 (rén), 癸 (guǐ), used cyclically in the calendar and as ordinal numbers I, II etc

yìnggàn

硬干

[硬幹]

to proceed tenaciously in spite of obstacles

gān'ér

干儿

[乾兒]

adopted son (traditional adoption, i.e. without legal ramifications)

jīnggàn

精干

[精幹]

crack (troops)
special (forces)
highly capable

gānyue

干哕

[乾噦]

to dry-heave
to retch

gànmá

干吗

[幹嗎]

see 幹嘛／干嘛 (gànmá)

gànxiào

干校

[幹校]

school for cadres
May 7 Cadre School 五七幹校／五七干校 ( Wǔ Qī Gànxiào)

kǔgàn

苦干

[苦幹]

to work hard

wúgān

无干

[無干]

to have nothing to do with

gānguǒ

干果

[乾果]

dried fruit
dry fruits (nuts etc)

gānxiào

干笑

[乾笑]

to give a hollow laugh
to force a smile
forced laugh
CL:聲／声 (shēng)

gānjiāng

干姜

[乾薑]

dried ginger

gànmá

干么

[幹麼]

see 幹嘛／干嘛 (gànmá)

gānděng

干等

[乾等]

to wait in vain; to sit around waiting

gāncuì

干脆

[乾脆]

candid
direct and to the point
simply
just
might as well

gānxǐ

干洗

[乾洗]

to dry clean
dry cleaning

gànjiàng

干将

[幹將]

capable person

gānfěn

干粉

[乾粉]

dry powder

gānshèyí

干涉仪

[干涉儀]

interferometer (physics)

Nú'érgān

奴儿干

[奴兒干]

part of Heilongjiang and the Vladivostok area ruled by the Ming dynasty

hōnggānjī

烘干机

[烘乾機]

clothes dryer

gānnü'ér

干女儿

[乾女兒]

adopted daughter (traditional adoption, i.e. without legal ramifications)

Tǎshígān

塔什干

[塔什干]

Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan

báigānr

白干儿

[白乾兒]

alcoholic spirit
strong white rice wine

dòufugān

豆腐干

[豆腐乾]

see 豆干 (dougàn)

Xīngàn Xiàn

新干县

[新幹縣]

Xingan County in Ji'an 吉安 ( Jí'ān), Jiangxi

gànshénme

干什么

[幹什麼]

what are you doing?
what's he up to?

niúròugān

牛肉干

[牛肉乾]

dried beef
jerky
charqui

bāogānzhì

包干制

[包乾制]

a system of payment partly in kind and partly in cash

chīgānfàn

吃干饭

[吃乾飯]

(coll.) to be incompetent
useless
good-for-nothing

Yúgānxiàn

余干县

[餘干縣]

Yugan county in Shangrao 上饒／上饶, Jiangxi

gānrǎosù

干扰素

[干擾素]

interferon

gāndǎlěi

干打垒

[乾打壘]

rammed earth
adobe house

règānmiàn

热干面

[熱乾麵]

noodles served hot, with toppings including sesame paste and soy sauce – popular in Wuhan as a breakfast dish or late-night snack

Jiānggān Qū

江干区

[江干區]

Jianggan District of Hangzhou city 杭州市 ( Hángzhōushì), Zhejiang

gānhàntǔ

干旱土

[乾旱土]

aridisol (soil taxonomy)

gànhuór

干活儿

[幹活兒]

erhua variant of 幹活／干活 (gànhuó)

yúgānnü

鱼干女

[魚乾女]

see 乾物女／干物女 (gānwùnü)

Tú'ěrgàn

涂尔干

[涂爾幹]

Durkheim (1858-1917), French sociologist

zǒnggànshi

总干事

[總幹事]

secretary-general

yǒucáigàn

有才干

[有才幹]

capable

gāndèngyǎn

干瞪眼

[乾瞪眼]

to watch helplessly

gānzàojì

干燥剂

[乾燥劑]

desiccant

bùxiānggān

不相干

[不相干]

to be irrelevant
to have nothing to do with

guògānyǐn

过干瘾

[過乾癮]

to satisfy a craving with substitutes

Sònggānjié

宋干节

[宋干節]

Songkran (Thai New Year festival)

gānwùnü

干物女

[乾物女]

single girl who lives a lackadaisical life, uninterested in relationships (orthographic borrowing from Japanese 干物女 "himono onna")

gānbābā

干巴巴

[乾巴巴]

dry
parched
dull
insipid

gānyǎnzhèng

干眼症

[乾眼症]

dry eye
xerophthalmia (drying of the tear glands, often due to lack of vitamin A)

bāogānr

包干儿

[包乾兒]

erhua variant of 包乾／包干 (bāogān)

gānzháojí

干着急

[乾著急]

to worry helplessly

gānshǒujī

干手机

[乾手機]

hand dryer

Xīngànxiàn

新干线

[新幹線]

Shinkansen (Japanese high-speed train)

gānméizi

干梅子

[乾梅子]

prunes

diàogànshēng

调干生

[調幹生]

worker chosen to become a cadre and sent to complete his schooling

Zhīnǔgān

支努干

[支努干]

Chinook (helicopter)

pútaogān

葡萄干

[葡萄乾]

raisin
dried grape

zhǔgànxiàn

主干线

[主幹線]

trunk line (of road, network etc)
backbone (cable)

gān'érzi

干儿子

[乾兒子]

adopted son (traditional adoption, i.e. without legal ramifications)

shítiāngān

十天干

[十天干]

the ten Heavenly Stems 甲 (jiǎ), 乙 (yǐ), 丙 (bǐng), 丁 (dīng), 戊 (wù), 己 (jǐ), 庚 (gēng), 辛 (xīn), 壬 (rén), 癸 (guǐ) (used cyclically in the calendar and as ordinal number like Roman I, II, III)

bùgānshè

不干涉

[不干涉]

noninterference
nonintervention

gànshizhǎng

干事长

[幹事長]

secretary-general

gānzàojī

干燥机

[乾燥機]

a drier

shígànjiā

实干家

[實幹家]

sb who gets things done
doer

duìzhegàn

对着干

[對著幹]

to adopt confrontational posture
to meet head-on
to compete

yǎngānzhèng

眼干症

[眼乾症]

(medicine) xeropthalmia; dry eye syndrome

gānliángdài

干粮袋

[乾糧袋]

knapsack (for provisions)
haversack

Bā'ěrgàn

巴尔干

[巴爾幹]

Balkan

gānlàosù

干酪素

[乾酪素]

casein

gànxìbāo

干细胞

[幹細胞]

stem cell

Wūgāndá

乌干达

[烏干達]

Uganda

zìgānwǔ

自干五

[自乾五]

(neologism) person who posts online in support of the Chinese government, but unlike a wumao 五毛 (wǔmáo), is not paid for doing so (abbr. for 自帶乾糧的五毛／自带干粮的五毛 (zìdàigānliángdewǔmáo))

kǒugānshézào

口干舌燥

[口乾舌燥]

lit. dry mouth and tongue (idiom); to talk too much

gāncuìlìsuo

干脆利索

[乾脆利索]

see 乾脆利落／干脆利落 (gāncuìlìluo)

Fèi'ěrgànnà

费尔干纳

[費爾干納]

the Ferghana Valley (in Uzbekistan, central Asia)

zhǔgànwǎngluò

主干网络

[主幹網絡]

core network

shuōgànjiùgàn

说干就干

[說幹就幹]

to do what needs to be done, without delay

rǔxiùwèigān

乳臭未干

[乳臭未乾]

lit. smell of breast milk not yet dried (idiom)
fig. immature and inexperienced; still wet behind the ears

Wǔ Qī Gànxiào

五七干校

[五七幹校]

May 7 cadre school (farm where urban cadres had to undertake manual labor and study ideology during the Cultural Revolution) (abbr. for 五七幹部學校／五七干部学校 ( Wǔ Qī Gànbù Xuéxiào))

Sōngzàn Gànbù

松赞干布

[松贊干布]

Songtsen Gampo or Songzain Gambo (604-650) Tibetan emperor, founder of the Tubo 吐蕃 ( Tǔbō) dynasty

gānjìnglìluò

干净俐落

[乾淨俐落]

clean and efficient
neat and tidy

Bāmǎgānlào

巴马干酪

[巴馬乾酪]

Parmesan cheese

Sāmǎ'ěrgàn

撒马尔干

[撒馬爾幹]

Samarkand, city in Uzbekistan
also written 撒馬爾罕／撒马尔罕 ( Sāmǎ'ěrhǎn)

máitóukǔgàn

埋头苦干

[埋頭苦幹]

to bury oneself in work (idiom); to be engrossed in work
to make an all-out effort
up to the neck in work

lièhuǒgānchái

烈火干柴

[烈火乾柴]

lit. intense fire to dry wood (idiom); inferno in a woodpile
fig. consuming passion between lovers

jīnggàngāoxiào

精干高效

[精幹高效]

top-notch efficiency

wēihuàbǐnggān

威化饼干

[威化餅乾]

wafer
wafer cookie

jiāxīnbǐnggān

夹心饼干

[夾心餅乾]

sandwich cookie
(jocular) sb who is caught between two opposing parties; sb who is between the hammer and the anvil

gānjìnglìluo

干净利落

[乾淨利落]

squeaky clean
neat and tidy
efficient

yīgān'èrjìng

一干二净

[一乾二淨]

thoroughly (idiom)
completely
one and all
very clean

gāncuìlìluo

干脆利落

[乾脆利落]

(of speech or actions) direct and efficient
without fooling around

yǒuhéguìgàn

有何贵干

[有何貴幹]

What (noble errand) brings you here?
May I help you?
What can I do for you?

sūdábǐnggān

苏打饼干

[蘇打餅乾]

soda biscuit
cracker

shèpíngānrǎo

射频干扰

[射頻干擾]

radio interference; RF interference

gǔgànwǎnglù

骨干网路

[骨幹網路]

backbone network

Dàxīdòugān

大溪豆干

[大溪豆乾]

dried tofu made in Daxi, a district of Taoyuan, Taiwan famous for its dried tofu 豆干 (dougàn)

Bùgānwéi'ěr

布干维尔

[布干維爾]

Bougainville, Papua New Guinea

bùgānbùjìng

不干不净

[不乾不淨]

unclean
filthy
foul-mouthed

diàncígānrǎo

电磁干扰

[電磁干擾]

electromagnetic interference

tuòmiànzìgān

唾面自干

[唾面自乾]

to be spat on in the face and let it dry by itself, not wiping it off (idiom); to turn the other cheek
to drain the cup of humiliation

wàiqiángzhōnggān

外强中干

[外強中乾]

strong in appearance but weak in reality (idiom)

shǎguāgānmiàn

傻瓜干面

[傻瓜乾麵]

boiled noodles served without broth, topped with just a sprinkle of oil and some chopped spring onions, to which customers add vinegar, soy sauce or chili oil according to their taste

xǐshǒubùgàn

洗手不干

[洗手不幹]

to totally stop doing something
to reform one's ways

zhǔgànwǎnglù

主干网路

[主幹網路]

core network
backbone network

gānbiāndòujiǎo

干煸豆角

[乾煸豆角]

green beans in sauce, popular Beijing dish

dàbiàngānzào

大便干燥

[大便乾燥]

constipated

jīngmíngqiánggàn

精明强干

[精明強幹]

intelligent and capable (idiom)

dàdònggāngē

大动干戈

[大動干戈]

lit. to go to war (idiom)
fig. to make a big fuss over sth

pútaogānr

葡萄干儿

[葡萄乾兒]

raisin

háoqìgānyún

豪气干云

[豪氣干雲]

lit. heroism reaching to the clouds (idiom)

jīngmíngnénggàn

精明能干

[精明能幹]

able and efficient

Alāgān Shānmài

阿拉干山脉

[阿拉干山脈]

Arakan Mountains (aka Rakhine Mountains), mountain range in western Myanmar

Tǎkèlāmǎgān

塔克拉马干

[塔克拉馬干]

Taklamakan (desert)

Bā'ěrgàn Bàndǎo

巴尔干半岛

[巴爾幹半島]

Balkan Peninsula

gānbiāntǔdòusī

干煸土豆丝

[乾煸土豆絲]

dry-fried potato slices (Chinese dish)

zàoxuègànxìbāo

造血干细胞

[造血幹細胞]

blood generating stem cells (in bone marrow)

Nú'érgāndūsī

奴儿干都司

[奴兒干都司]

the Ming dynasty provincial headquarters in the Heilongjiang and Vladivostok area

Sōngzàn Gànbùlíng

松赞干布陵

[松贊干布陵]

the tomb of Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo or Songzain Gambo in Lhoka prefecture

shǒujiǎobùgānjìng

手脚不干净

[手腳不乾淨]

thieving
light-fingered
prone to stealing

gānbiānsìjìdòu

干煸四季豆

[乾煸四季豆]

fried beans, Sichuan style

shālāshuǎigānqì

沙拉甩干器

[沙拉甩乾器]

salad spinner

Bùgānwéi'ěr Dǎo

布干维尔岛

[布干維爾島]

Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea

jiānchōngzhìgànxìbāo

间充质干细胞

[間充質幹細胞]

mesenchymal stem cell MSC (in cell biology)

Wǔ Qī Gànbù Xuéxiào

五七干部学校

[五七幹部學校]

May 7 Cadre School (farm where urban cadres had to undertake manual labor and study ideology during the Cultural Revolution) (abbr. to 五七幹校／五七干校 ( Wǔ Qī Gànxiào))

Tǎshíkù'ěrgānxiāng

塔什库尔干乡

[塔什庫爾干鄉]