呻 meaning and stroke order
To moan, to groan; to chant
How to write 呻, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 呻
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (literary) to recite; to chant; to intone
- (bound form) groan
How 呻 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Mouth.
口 gives the meaning and 申 hints at the sound.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 呻
呻 is a mouth 口 next to 申 (shēn), which gives the sound. Picture a mouth stretching out a long, drawn-out sound, like a groan or a slow chant.
In modern Chinese, 呻 almost always appears in the word 呻吟 (shēnyín), meaning to moan or groan from pain or distress. The older sense of reciting or chanting shows up mainly in literary texts. Example: 他疼得直呻吟。(Tā téng de zhí shēnyín.) He was in so much pain he kept groaning.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes confuse 呻 with 伸 (shēn, to stretch), since both share 申 and have the same pinyin. Remember that 呻 has the mouth radical 口 because it is a sound you make, while 伸 has the person radical 亻.
Common words with 呻
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 呻吟 | shēnyín | to moan; to groan |
呻 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 呻
How many strokes are in 呻?
呻 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 呻 mean?
呻 (shēn) means to moan, to groan; to chant. A common word with it is 呻吟 (shēnyín), meaning "to moan; to groan".
How do you pronounce 呻?
呻 is pronounced shēn, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 呻?
The radical of 呻 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 呻 under this radical.
Can 呻 be used by itself as a verb?
Rarely in everyday speech. People say 呻吟 instead. Using 呻 alone sounds literary or classical.
Does 呻吟 only describe physical pain?
No. It can also be used figuratively for complaining or lamenting, as in the phrase 无病呻吟 (wú bìng shēnyín), moaning without being ill, which describes needless complaining or overly sentimental writing.