沿 meaning and stroke order
Along; to follow (a line, tradition etc); to carry on
How to write 沿, stroke by stroke
8 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
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- 8
Meaning of 沿
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- along
- to follow (a line, tradition etc)
- to carry on
- to trim (a border with braid, tape etc)
- border
- edge
How 沿 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water.
氵 gives the meaning.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 沿
沿 is water 氵 beside 几 sitting on a mouth 口. Picture water flowing along the edge of a riverbank, and you follow it along the way.
沿 usually means "along" and comes before a place or path, often as 沿着 (yánzhe). It also appears in words for edges and borders, like 沿海 (yánhǎi) coastal and 前沿 (qiányán) forefront. Example: 我们沿着河边走。(Wǒmen yánzhe hé biān zǒu.) We walked along the river.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 沿 with 铅 (qiān, lead, pencil lead), which has the same right side but the metal radical 钅 and a different sound. Also remember the right top is 几, not 八, so it is not the same as 船 (chuán) even though it looks close.
Common words with 沿
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 沿着 | yánzhe | to go along; to follow | HSK 6 |
| 沿海 | yánhǎi | coastal | HSK 6 |
| 沿岸 | yán'àn | coastal area; littoral or riparian | HSK 7-9 |
| 沿途 | yántú | along the sides of the road; by the wayside | HSK 7-9 |
| 前沿 | qiányán | (military) forward position; frontier; cutting-edge; forefront | HSK 7-9 |
| 沿线 | yánxiàn | along the line (e.g. railway); the region near the line | HSK 7-9 |
| 沿路 | yánlù | along the way; on the way; area beside a road |
沿 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 沿
How many strokes are in 沿?
沿 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 沿 mean?
沿 (yán) means along; to follow (a line, tradition etc); to carry on. A common word with it is 沿着 (yánzhe), meaning "to go along; to follow".
How do you pronounce 沿?
沿 is pronounced yán, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 沿?
The radical of 沿 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 沿 under this radical.
Is 沿 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 沿 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 沿着 and 顺着?
Both can mean "along," and often they swap. 沿着 stresses following a line or edge, like a road or coast. 顺着 (shùnzhe) can also mean going with a direction or flow, as in 顺着他的意思 (going along with his wishes).
Can 沿 be used as a noun meaning edge?
Yes, but mostly inside compounds or after another noun, such as 河沿 (héyán) riverbank, 床沿 (chuángyán) edge of the bed, and 帽沿 (màoyán) hat brim. In these words it is often said with a neutral or fourth tone in casual northern speech.