曰 meaning and stroke order
To speak; to say
How to write 曰, stroke by stroke
4 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
Meaning of 曰
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to speak
- to say
How 曰 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Picture of an open 一 mouth 口.
How to remember 曰
Picture a mouth 口 with a line 一 inside it. The line is the tongue or breath coming out as the mouth opens to speak, so 曰 (yuē) means to say.
曰 is a classical word for "to say" and appears mostly in ancient texts, quotations, idioms and formal writing. In everyday speech people use 说 (shuō) instead. A famous example is 子曰 (zǐ yuē), "The Master said", which opens many lines of Confucius's Analects.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 曰 (yuē) with 日 (rì, sun). 曰 is wider and squatter, and its middle line does not touch the right side, while 日 is tall and narrow with a middle line joined on both sides.
Characters that contain 曰
Learning 曰 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 曰
How many strokes are in 曰?
曰 is written with 4 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 曰 mean?
曰 (yuē) means to speak; to say.
How do you pronounce 曰?
曰 is pronounced yuē, in the first tone (high and level).
Is 曰 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 曰 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Can I use 曰 in modern conversation?
Not really. In speech it sounds old-fashioned or playful, like saying "quoth" in English. Use 说 (shuō) for normal conversation.
Where will I see 曰 today?
You will see it in classical quotations, set phrases such as 美其名曰 (měi qí míng yuē, to give something a nice-sounding name), and as a component in characters like 冒 and 最.