渊 meaning and stroke order
Abyss, depth; to surge up, to bubble up
How to write 渊, stroke by stroke
11 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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- 11
Meaning of 渊
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- deep pool
- deep
- profound
How 渊 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 渊
The water radical 氵 on the left tells you this character is about water. Picture the right side as a deep pool seen from above, with ripples in the middle, and you have 渊 (yuān), a deep pool or abyss.
渊 is rarely used alone in modern speech. It mostly appears in set words like 深渊 (shēnyuān, abyss) and 渊源 (yuānyuán, origin), and in formal phrases describing deep learning. Example: 他们两家有很深的渊源。(Tāmen liǎng jiā yǒu hěn shēn de yuānyuán.) Their two families have deep historical ties.
Common mistake: Learners often write the middle of the right side as a plain 米, but in 渊 the strokes cross through a frame and are not a standalone 米. Also, 渊 is first tone yuān, so do not confuse it with 源 (yuán, source), which is second tone and appears right next to it in 渊源.
Common words with 渊
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 渊源 | yuānyuán | origin; source | HSK 7-9 |
| 深渊 | shēnyuān | abyss |
Questions about 渊
How many strokes are in 渊?
渊 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 渊 mean?
渊 (yuān) means abyss, depth; to surge up, to bubble up. A common word with it is 渊源 (yuānyuán), meaning "origin; source".
How do you pronounce 渊?
渊 is pronounced yuān, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 渊?
The radical of 渊 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 渊 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 渊?
The traditional form of 渊 is 淵. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 渊 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 渊 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 渊 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 渊博 mean?
渊博 (yuānbó) means erudite or having broad, deep knowledge. It is used to praise a scholar, as in 知识渊博 (zhīshi yuānbó), very knowledgeable.
Is 深渊 used only for physical cliffs and pits?
No. 深渊 often has a figurative meaning, like a desperate situation. For example, 陷入痛苦的深渊 (xiànrù tòngkǔ de shēnyuān) means to fall into an abyss of suffering.