1. "To do" or "to work"
This is the most common meaning of "gan". It's often used in phrases like:
* 干什么 (gàn shénme): What are you doing?
* 工作 (gōngzuò): To work
* 干活 (gàn huó): To do chores or manual labor
* 干事 (gàn shì): To do something, to handle business
2. "To be dry"
This is the literal meaning of "gan". It's used to describe something that is not wet, like:
* 干燥 (gānzào): Dry
* 干旱 (gānhàn): Drought
3. "Clean" or "neat"
This meaning is less common but still used. It often refers to a person's appearance or behavior:
* 干干净净 (gāngānjìngjìng): Clean and neat
* 干爽 (gānshuǎng): Dry and comfortable
4. "To drink" (slang)
This is a slang term mostly used by young people.
5. A surname
"Gan" is also a surname in Chinese.
6. "Gan" as a prefix
Sometimes, "gan" is used as a prefix to emphasize the action or state, like:
* 干劲 (gànjìn): Enthusiasm or zeal
* 干巴 (gānbā): Dry and tough
It's important to note that the meaning of "gan" can change depending on the context and the other characters it's paired with.
To understand the specific meaning of "gan" in a sentence, you need to consider the other words around it and the overall context.