Zi Collection, Middle Volume Radical: Person (rén) Zhan Kangxi stroke count: 7 Page 98, Entry 14 Guangyun (Comprehensive Rhymes) and Jiyun (Collective Rhymes) pronounce this as jian. Dictionaries state that zhan-shu means frivolous or shallow. It is also synonymous with the character zhan as found in Jiyun (Collective Rhymes) and Zhengyun (Correct Rhymes). Book of Rites (Liji), Learning Record: Teachers today merely have students recite the text. Commentary: Zhan means to look at. Bi refers to a writing tablet. They merely recite the tablet they are looking at without understanding the underlying meaning. Shen is the sound of chanting or reciting. The pronunciation and meaning are the same as zhan. It is also used as a variant for zhan-zhan. Book of Han (Hanshu), Account of the Xiongnu: Making a chattering and whispering sound. Suoyin (Search for Hidden Meaning) says: Zhan-nie means whispering in the ear. Textual verification: In the Book of Rites (Liji), Music Record, the text says: Teachers today merely have students recite the text. Corrected from Music Record to Learning Record in accordance with the original text.