全 meaning and stroke order
All; whole; entire
How to write 全, stroke by stroke
6 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Meaning of 全
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- all
- whole
- entire
- every
- complete
How 全 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Jade 玉 put away 入 for safe-keeping.
Radical: 入 (to enter), shared by 5 characters on this site.
How to remember 全
Picture a piece of jade 玉 being put away 入 for safe-keeping, so it stays whole and complete. In the modern shape the top is 人-like and the bottom looks like 王, with the jade's dot gone.
全 (quán) usually comes before a noun to mean the whole of it, as in 全家 (quánjiā) whole family and 全国 (quánguó) nationwide. It also appears in common words like 完全 (wánquán) completely and 安全 (ānquán) safe. Example: 我们全家都去了。(Wǒmen quánjiā dōu qù le.) Our whole family went.
Common mistake: Learners often write the bottom as 玉 with a dot, but in 全 it is written like 王 with no dot. Another trap is confusing 全 with 金 (jīn, gold), which has an extra horizontal stroke and two dots.
Common words with 全
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 完全 | wánquán | complete; whole; totally; entirely | HSK 2 |
| 安全 | ānquán | safe; secure; safety; security | HSK 2 |
| 全部 | quánbù | whole; all | HSK 2 |
| 全国 | quánguó | whole nation; nationwide | HSK 2 |
| 全身 | quánshēn | the whole body; (typography) em | HSK 2 |
| 全体 | quántǐ | all; entire | HSK 2 |
| 全家 | quánjiā | whole family | HSK 2 |
| 全年 | quánnián | the whole year; all year long | HSK 2 |
| 全球 | quánqiú | the whole world; worldwide; global | HSK 3 |
| 全面 | quánmiàn | all-around; comprehensive | HSK 3 |
| 全场 | quánchǎng | everyone present; the whole audience | HSK 3 |
| 全都 | quándōu | all; without exception | HSK 5 |
| 全世界 | quán shìjiè | worldwide; entire world | HSK 5 |
| 健全 | jiànquán | robust; sound | HSK 5 |
全 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 全
Learning 全 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 全
How many strokes are in 全?
全 is written with 6 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 全 mean?
全 (quán) means all; whole; entire. A common word with it is 完全 (wánquán), meaning "complete; whole; totally; entirely".
How do you pronounce 全?
全 is pronounced quán, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 全?
The radical of 全 is 入, which carries the idea of "to enter". Dictionaries list 全 under this radical.
Is 全 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 全 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
What is the difference between 全 and 都?
全 often goes before a noun to mean whole, as in 全年 (quánnián) the whole year. 都 (dōu) is an adverb before a verb meaning all. They often appear together: 全班都来了 (quán bān dōu lái le), the whole class came.
Can 全 be used before a verb?
Yes, 全 can work as an adverb meaning entirely, as in 我全忘了 (wǒ quán wàng le), I forgot all of it. In this use it is close to 完全 (wánquán) or 都 (dōu).