戀 meaning and stroke order
Love; to yearn for, to long for
How to write 戀, stroke by stroke
23 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
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21
- 22
- 23
Meaning of 戀
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to feel attached to
- to long for
- to love
How 戀 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Heart.
心 gives the meaning and 䜌 hints at the sound.
Radical: 心 (heart), shared by 97 characters on this site.
How to remember 戀
戀 is a sound-meaning character: 䜌 on top gives the sound, and 心 (xīn, heart) at the bottom gives the meaning. Picture tangled threads 䜌 wrapped around a heart 心, the feeling of being tied to someone you love.
戀 (liàn) usually appears in compounds about romantic love or emotional attachment, such as 戀愛 (liàn'ài) and 失戀 (shīliàn). It can also describe attachment to a place or time, as in 留戀 (liúliàn). Example: 他們在談戀愛。(Tāmen zài tán liàn'ài.) They are dating.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 戀 with 變 (biàn, to change) and 彎 (wān, bent), since all share the same 䜌 top. Check the bottom: 心 means love, 攵 means change, 弓 means bent.
Common words with 戀
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 戀愛 | liàn'ài | (romantic) love; in love | HSK 5 |
| 迷戀 | míliàn | to be infatuated with; to be enchanted by | HSK 7-9 |
| 失戀 | shīliàn | to lose one's love; to break up (in a romantic relationship) | HSK 7-9 |
| 留戀 | liúliàn | reluctant to leave; to hate to have to go | HSK 7-9 |
| 戀戀不捨 | liànliàn-bùshě | reluctant to part | HSK 7-9 |
| 同性戀 | tóngxìngliàn | homosexuality; gay person | |
| 談戀愛 | tánliàn'ài | to be in a romantic relationship; to go steady; to be dating | |
| 戀人 | liànrén | lover; sweetheart | |
| 初戀 | chūliàn | first love | |
| 戀情 | liànqíng | romantic love | |
| 暗戀 | ànliàn | to be secretly in love with | |
| 異性戀 | yìxìngliàn | heterosexuality; heterosexual love | |
| 同性戀者 | tóngxìngliànzhě | homosexual; gay person | |
| 自戀 | zìliàn | narcissism |
Questions about 戀
How many strokes are in 戀?
戀 is written with 23 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 戀 mean?
戀 (liàn) means love; to yearn for, to long for. A common word with it is 恋爱 (liàn'ài), meaning "(romantic) love; in love".
How do you pronounce 戀?
戀 is pronounced liàn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 戀?
The radical of 戀 is 心, which carries the idea of "heart". Dictionaries list 戀 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 戀?
戀 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 恋, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 戀 (liàn) and 愛 (ài)?
愛 is the general word for love and works alone as a verb, as in 我愛你. 戀 is rarely used alone in speech and suggests longing or attachment, mostly inside words like 戀愛 or 戀人.
Can 戀 be used for things other than people?
Yes. 留戀 (liúliàn) means reluctant to leave a place or time, and 迷戀 (míliàn) can mean being obsessed with a hobby or object. The idea is emotional attachment, not only romance.