恩 meaning and stroke order
Kindness, mercy, charity
How to write 恩, stroke by stroke
10 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 恩
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- favor; grace; kindness
- (coll.) used like 嗯[en4] in online chat, expressing agreement
- variant of 恩[en1]
How 恩 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Heart.
心 gives the meaning and 因 hints at the sound.
Radical: 心 (heart), shared by 97 characters on this site.
How to remember 恩
恩 is 因 (yīn, cause) sitting on top of 心 (xīn, heart). Kindness is something that has its cause in the heart, and 因 also hints at the sound ēn.
恩 usually appears in words about a favor someone did for you and the gratitude you owe, such as 恩人 (ēnrén, benefactor) and 感恩 (gǎn'ēn, to be grateful). Example: 他是我的恩人。(Tā shì wǒ de ēnrén.) He is my benefactor.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 恩 with 思 (sī, to think), which has 田 on top instead of 因. Look for the 大 inside the box: 因 has it, 田 does not.
Common words with 恩
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 恩人 | ēnrén | a benefactor; a person who has significantly helped sb else | HSK 6 |
| 感恩 | gǎn'ēn | to be grateful | HSK 7-9 |
| 恩怨 | ēnyuàn | gratitude and grudges; resentment | HSK 7-9 |
| 恩赐 | ēncì | to bestow (favors, charity etc) | HSK 7-9 |
| 恩惠 | ēnhuì | favor; grace | HSK 7-9 |
| 恩情 | ēnqíng | kindness; affection | HSK 7-9 |
| 恩典 | ēndiǎn | favor; grace | |
| 忘恩负义 | wàng'ēnfùyì | to forget favors and violate justice (idiom); ingratitude to a friend; to kick a benefacto | |
| 恩爱 | ēn'ài | loving affection (in a couple); conjugal love | |
| 谢恩 | xiè'ēn | to thank sb for favor (esp. emperor or superior official) | |
| 恩德 | ēndé | benevolence; favor |
恩 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 恩
Learning 恩 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 恩
How many strokes are in 恩?
恩 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 恩 mean?
恩 (ēn) means kindness, mercy, charity. A common word with it is 恩人 (ēnrén), meaning "a benefactor; a person who has significantly helped sb else".
How do you pronounce 恩?
恩 is pronounced ēn, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 恩?
The radical of 恩 is 心, which carries the idea of "heart". Dictionaries list 恩 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 恩?
The traditional form of 恩 is 㤙. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 恩 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 恩 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 恩 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Why do people type 恩 in online chats to mean yes?
In casual chat, 恩 is often used in place of 嗯 (ǹg or èn), the sound for agreeing, like saying 'mm-hm'. It happens because both come up when typing en in pinyin input. In careful writing, use 嗯 for this meaning.
What does 恩怨 mean, and is it positive or negative?
恩怨 (ēnyuàn) literally pairs favors with grudges, but in practice it usually means old grievances or a tangled feud between people. For example, 两家的恩怨 means the long-standing feud between two families.