冉 meaning and stroke order
Tender; weak; to proceed gradually
How to write 冉, 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
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- 3
- 4
- 5
Meaning of 冉
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- variant of 冉[ran3]
- edge of a tortoiseshell
- used in 冉冉[ran3 ran3]
How 冉 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 冂 (wide), shared by 13 characters on this site.
How to remember 冉
Picture a frame 冂 with 土 (tǔ, earth) threaded through it, like soft new growth slowly pushing up through a doorway. That slow, gentle rise is 冉 (rǎn): tender, and moving gradually.
冉 rarely appears alone in modern Chinese. You mostly meet it in the literary reduplication 冉冉 (rǎn rǎn), meaning slowly or gently rising, and as a surname. Example: 太阳冉冉升起。(Tàiyáng rǎnrǎn shēngqǐ.) The sun slowly rises.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 冉 with 再 (zài, again), which has an extra horizontal stroke on top. Also note the tone: 冉 is third tone rǎn, not rán like 然.
Characters that contain 冉
Learning 冉 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 冉
How many strokes are in 冉?
冉 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 冉 mean?
冉 (rǎn) means tender; weak; to proceed gradually.
How do you pronounce 冉?
冉 is pronounced rǎn, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 冉?
The radical of 冉 is 冂, which carries the idea of "wide". Dictionaries list 冉 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 冉?
The traditional form of 冉 is 冄. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 冉 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 冉 a common Chinese surname?
Yes, 冉 (Rǎn) is a real surname, though not one of the most common. A well-known bearer is 冉有 (Rǎn Yǒu), a disciple of Confucius.
What does 冉冉 mean and where is it used?
冉冉 (rǎnrǎn) describes something moving slowly and gently, often rising, like smoke, a flag, or the sun. It has a literary feel and appears in writing, poems, and formal descriptions more than in casual speech.