兰 meaning and stroke order
Orchid; elegant, graceful
How to write 兰, stroke by stroke
5 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
Meaning of 兰
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- orchid (蘭花|兰花 Cymbidium goeringii)
- fragrant thoroughwort (蘭草|兰草 Eupatorium fortunei)
- lily magnolia (木蘭|木兰)
How 兰 is built
Pictographic character. An orchid in bloom.
Radical: 丷 (kwukyel), shared by 8 characters on this site.
How to remember 兰
The two little strokes 丷 on top are like an orchid's petals opening, and the three lines of 三 below are its long, flat leaves. The etymology hint describes 兰 as a picture of an orchid in bloom.
兰 (lán) appears in plant names like 兰花 (lánhuā, orchid) and 铃兰 (línglán, lily of the valley). It is also very common as a sound in foreign names and loanwords, such as 荷兰 (Hélán, the Netherlands) and 白兰地 (báilándì, brandy). Example: 她喜欢养兰花。(Tā xǐhuan yǎng lánhuā.) She likes growing orchids.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 兰 (lán) with 当 (dāng), which has a similar top but a different bottom part. Also keep 兰 (lán) apart from 蓝 (lán, blue) and 篮 (lán, basket). They share the same sound but have different meanings.
Common words with 兰
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 伊斯兰教 | Yīsīlánjiào | Islam | HSK 7-9 |
| 法兰 | fǎlán | flange (loanword) | |
| 白兰地 | báilándì | (loanword) brandy | |
| 龙舌兰 | lóngshélán | agave (genus of plants); (esp.) Agave americana; agave-based spirit; (esp.) tequila (disti | |
| 兰花 | lánhuā | cymbidium; orchid | |
| 兰姆 | Lánmǔ | rum (beverage) (loanword) | |
| 紫罗兰 | zǐluólán | (botany) common stock; gillyflower (Matthiola incana); (botany) violet | |
| 铃兰 | línglán | lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) | |
| 木兰 | Mùlán | lily magnolia (Magnolia liliflora) | |
| 西兰花 | xīlánhuā | broccoli |
兰 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 兰
Learning 兰 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 兰
How many strokes are in 兰?
兰 is written with 5 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 兰 mean?
兰 (lán) means orchid; elegant, graceful. A common word with it is 伊斯兰教 (Yīsīlánjiào), meaning "Islam".
How do you pronounce 兰?
兰 is pronounced lán, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 兰?
The radical of 兰 is 丷, which carries the idea of "kwukyel". Dictionaries list 兰 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 兰?
The traditional form of 兰 is 蘭. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 兰 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 兰 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 兰 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Why does 兰 appear in so many country and drink names?
Chinese often uses 兰 to write the sound "lan" or "ran" in foreign words. That is why you see it in 荷兰 (Hélán, the Netherlands), 伊斯兰教 (Yīsīlánjiào, Islam) and 兰姆 (Lánmǔ, rum).
Is 兰 used in people's names?
Yes. Because the orchid is a symbol of elegance and grace, 兰 is a popular character in Chinese given names, especially for women. A well-known example is the legendary heroine 花木兰 (Huā Mùlán).