彦 meaning and stroke order
Elegant
How to write 彦, stroke by stroke
9 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
- 7
- 8
- 9
Meaning of 彦
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- accomplished
- elegant
How 彦 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hair.
彡 gives the meaning and 产 hints at the sound.
Radical: 彡 (hair), shared by 14 characters on this site.
How to remember 彦
彦 (yàn) puts 产 on top of 彡, three strokes that suggest hair or decorative lines. Picture a person whose hair and appearance are neatly styled, an elegant and accomplished person, with 产 hinting at the sound.
彦 is rare in everyday speech and mostly appears in formal or literary words for talented, cultivated people, and very often in personal names. A common set phrase is 俊彦 (jùnyàn), meaning outstanding talents. Example: 他的名字叫王彦。(Tā de míngzi jiào Wáng Yàn.) His name is Wang Yan.
Common mistake: Learners often write the top as 立 or 文 and forget the slanted stroke of 产, or they confuse 彦 with 颜 (yán, face, color), which contains 彦 plus 页. Also note the tone: 彦 is fourth tone yàn, while 颜 is second tone yán.
Characters that contain 彦
Learning 彦 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 彦
How many strokes are in 彦?
彦 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 彦 mean?
彦 (yàn) means elegant.
How do you pronounce 彦?
彦 is pronounced yàn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 彦?
The radical of 彦 is 彡, which carries the idea of "hair". Dictionaries list 彦 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 彦?
The traditional form of 彦 is 彥. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 彦 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Why do I see 彦 so often in names?
Because it means accomplished and elegant, parents choose it to express hopes for a talented, refined child. It is common in Chinese given names and also in Japanese names.
What is the difference between 彦 and 颜?
彦 (yàn) means elegant or a talented person. 颜 (yán) adds 页 (head) and means face or color, as in 颜色 (yánsè, color).