敢: dare to
敢 (gǎn) is a modal verb meaning to dare, used before a verb phrase when the action needs courage or carries a risk. Its negative 不敢 means does not dare, or is too scared or shy to.
> 他敢一个人去。(He dares to go alone.)
Structure: Subject + 敢 + Verb phrase
Negation: 不敢 = don't dare
> 我不敢跟老板提这件事。(I don't dare bring this up with my boss.)
Question: 你敢不敢 + V? or 你敢吗?
Contrast with 能/可以: those express ability or permission; 敢 expresses willingness-under-risk. A shy person 能说 (can speak) but 不敢说 (doesn't dare say it).
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 你敢一个人住在这里吗？ | Nǐ gǎn yī gè rén zhù zài zhèlǐ ma? | Do you dare to live here alone? | Basic 敢 question: courage required for the action |
| 我不敢在很多人面前讲话。 | Wǒ bù gǎn zài hěn duō rén miànqián jiǎnghuà. | I don't dare speak in front of many people. | 不敢 = no courage to perform the action |
| 他连老师都敢顶嘴，真的很大胆。 | Tā lián lǎoshī dōu gǎn dǐngzuǐ, zhēn de hěn dǎdǎn. | He even dares to talk back to the teacher — truly bold. | 连…都敢 intensifies: even in an extreme case he dares |
Word by word
Each word in this pattern on its own: what it does here, the structure, three more examples, and the mistake to avoid.
敢 (gǎn)
Means "to dare": the action needs courage or carries a risk.
Structure: subject + 敢 + verb phrase
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 她敢一个人去山里旅行。 | Tā gǎn yí gè rén qù shān lǐ lǚ xíng. | She dares to travel alone in the mountains. |
| 你敢不敢跟老师说实话？ | Nǐ gǎn bù gǎn gēn lǎo shī shuō shí huà? | Do you dare to tell the teacher the truth? |
| 那个孩子很勇敢，什么都敢试。 | Nà gè hái zi hěn yǒng gǎn, shén me dōu gǎn shì. | That child is brave and dares to try anything. |
Not: 你敢吗去？ 敢 comes before the verb: 你敢去吗？
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 4, verbs (能愿动词).
敢 is also explained in: Modal Verbs: 敢 (dare) & 需要 (need) (HSK 3).
不敢 (bù gǎn)
Says the subject does not dare, or is too scared or shy to do it.
Structure: subject + 不敢 + verb phrase
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 晚上我不敢一个人走这条路。 | Wǎn shang wǒ bù gǎn yí gè rén zǒu zhè tiáo lù. | At night I do not dare to walk this road alone. |
| 他不敢看这部电影，太吓人了。 | Tā bù gǎn kàn zhè bù diàn yǐng, tài xià rén le. | He does not dare to watch this film, it is too scary. |
| 我不敢吃辣的，一吃就肚子疼。 | Wǒ bù gǎn chī là de, yì chī jiù dǔ zi téng. | I do not dare to eat spicy food, it gives me a stomach ache. |
Not: 我不敢要告诉他。 Do not put 要 between them: 我不敢告诉他.
Compared side by side: 不敢 vs 不能.
What you need first
Every topic in GraphChinese names its own prerequisites, and these are the grammar points this one is built on. If a sentence here will not parse, one of them is why.
Questions about 敢
What does 敢 mean in Chinese?
敢 (gǎn) is a modal verb meaning to dare, used before a verb phrase when the action needs courage or carries a risk. Its negative 不敢 means does not dare, or is too scared or shy to. It is an HSK 4 grammar point.
How do you use 敢 in a sentence?
你敢一个人住在这里吗？ — Nǐ gǎn yī gè rén zhù zài zhèlǐ ma? — Do you dare to live here alone?. Basic 敢 question: courage required for the action.
What do you need to know before 敢?
Modal Verbs (HSK 3). This pattern is built out of them, so a sentence here that will not parse usually means one of them has not landed yet.
What is the difference between 不敢 and 不能?
不能 says it is not possible or not allowed. 不敢 says you are afraid to do it. 我能说, 但是我不敢说 means I could say it, but I lack the nerve.
敢 is one topic of 829. GraphChinese teaches them in prerequisite order, so this pattern reaches you on the day everything it rests on is proven. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.
Start at your true level