延 meaning and stroke order
To prolong; to extend; to delay
How to write 延, 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 延
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to prolong
- to extend
- to delay
How 延 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A foot on the road 㢟 stopped in its tracks 丿.
Radical: 廴 (to walk), shared by 5 characters on this site.
How to remember 延
Picture a foot walking along a long road 㢟, then a small stroke 丿 on top that stops it in its tracks. The journey gets held up and drawn out, so 延 (yán) means to delay or to extend.
延 rarely stands alone in speech. It mostly appears in two-character words about time or distance, like 延长 (yáncháng, to prolong), 延期 (yánqī, to postpone) and 拖延 (tuōyán, to procrastinate). Example: 会议延期了。(Huìyì yánqī le.) The meeting was postponed.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 延 with 廷 (tíng, royal court), which has the same 廴 base but lacks the extra 丿 stroke on top. Also, the 廴 part is written last in both, even though it sits on the left and bottom.
Common words with 延
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 延长 | yáncháng | to prolong; to extend | HSK 4 |
| 延续 | yánxù | to continue; to go on | HSK 4 |
| 延期 | yánqī | to delay; to extend | HSK 4 |
| 延伸 | yánshēn | to extend; to stretch; to expand; to spread | HSK 5 |
| 拖延 | tuōyán | to delay; to put off | HSK 7-9 |
| 蔓延 | mànyán | to spread; to extend | HSK 7-9 |
| 延误 | yánwù | to postpone (with unfortunate consequences); to take too long (to do sth); to miss (a dead | HSK 7-9 |
| 延缓 | yánhuǎn | to defer; to postpone | HSK 7-9 |
| 延迟 | yánchí | to delay; to postpone | |
| 拖延时间 | tuōyánshíjiān | to procrastinate; to stall for time | |
| 延后 | yánhòu | to postpone; to defer | |
| 绵延 | miányán | (esp. of a mountain range) to be continuous; to stretch long and unbroken | |
| 苟延残喘 | gǒuyáncánchuǎn | (idiom) to struggle on whilst at death's door |
延 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 延
Learning 延 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 延
How many strokes are in 延?
延 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 延 mean?
延 (yán) means to prolong; to extend; to delay. A common word with it is 延长 (yáncháng), meaning "to prolong; to extend".
How do you pronounce 延?
延 is pronounced yán, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 延?
The radical of 延 is 廴, which carries the idea of "to walk". Dictionaries list 延 under this radical.
Is 延 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 延 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 延长 and 延期?
延长 (yáncháng) means to make something longer, such as a meeting, a road or a visa. 延期 (yánqī) means to push a date or deadline later. You can 延长 a stay, but you 延期 an exam.
When should I use 延误 instead of 延期?
延误 (yánwù) implies a delay that causes harm or a missed chance, often used for flights or medical treatment, as in 航班延误 (hángbān yánwù, flight delay). 延期 is a neutral, often planned postponement.