A kΕan (ε
¬ζ‘) (; Chinese: ε
¬ζ‘; pinyin: gΕng'àn, [kΚΜΕ ân]; Korean: νλ, hwadu; Vietnamese: công án) is a story, dialogue, question, or statement which is used in Zen practice to provoke the "great doubt" and to practice or test a student's progress in Zen.