憐 meaning and stroke order
To pity, to sympathize with
How to write 憐, stroke by stroke
15 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 憐
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to pity
How 憐 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Heart.
忄 gives the meaning and 粦 hints at the sound.
Radical: 忄 (heart), shared by 167 characters on this site.
How to remember 憐
憐 (lián) is a pictophonetic character: the heart radical 忄 on the left gives the meaning, and 粦 (lín) on the right hints at the sound. Picture your heart going out to someone, which is what pity feels like.
憐 is the traditional form, and on its own it is mostly literary. In everyday speech it appears in words like 可憐 (kělián, pitiful) and 憐憫 (liánmǐn, pity). Example: 這隻小狗好可憐。(Zhè zhī xiǎo gǒu hǎo kělián.) This little dog is so pitiful.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 憐 with 鄰 (lín, neighbor) and 磷 (lín, phosphorus), which share the 粦 part. Remember that only the heart version is read lián, with a second tone, and means pity.
Common words with 憐
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
Questions about 憐
How many strokes are in 憐?
憐 is written with 15 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 憐 mean?
憐 (lián) means to pity, to sympathize with. A common word with it is 可怜 (kělián), meaning "pitiful; pathetic".
How do you pronounce 憐?
憐 is pronounced lián, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 憐?
The radical of 憐 is 忄, which carries the idea of "heart". Dictionaries list 憐 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 憐?
憐 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 怜, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 可憐 always kind, or can it be an insult?
It can be either. 可憐 often expresses sympathy, but said with scorn it means pathetic, and 可憐蟲 (kěliánchóng) is clearly contemptuous, like calling someone a wretch.
What is the difference between 憐惜 and 憐憫?
憐惜 (liánxī) suggests tender care for someone, often someone you love or something delicate. 憐憫 (liánmǐn) is more general pity or compassion, often for people who are suffering.