TraceHanzi

灣 meaning and stroke order

wān

Bay, cove, gulf, inlet

25 strokesRadical 氵Simplified 湾
Strokes25
Pinyinwān
ToneTone 1
Frequency#4,322
Printable worksheet

How to write 灣, stroke by stroke

25 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 灣

Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.

wānfirst tone (high and level)
  1. bay
  2. gulf
  3. to cast anchor
  4. to moor (a boat)

How 灣 is built

Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water.

shuǐwater+wānbend

氵 gives the meaning and 彎 hints at the sound.

Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.

How to remember 灣

Water 氵 sits beside 彎 (wān, to bend), which also gives the sound. A bay is where the water bends into the land.

灣 is the traditional form used in Taiwan and Hong Kong, and it appears in place names and words like 海灣 (hǎiwān) and 港灣 (gǎngwān). Example: 船停在港灣裡。(Chuán tíng zài gǎngwān lǐ.) The boat is moored in the harbor.

Common mistake: Learners often confuse 灣 (bay) with 彎 (wān, to bend or a curve) because they sound the same. If the word is about water or a coastline, use the one with 氵.

Common words with 灣

Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.

WordPinyinMeaningLevel
海灣hǎiwānbay; gulfHSK 6
港灣gǎngwānbay serving as a harbor

Questions about 灣

How many strokes are in 灣?

灣 is written with 25 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.

What does 灣 mean?

灣 (wān) means bay, cove, gulf, inlet. A common word with it is 海湾 (hǎiwān), meaning "bay; gulf".

How do you pronounce 灣?

灣 is pronounced wān, in the first tone (high and level).

What is the radical of 灣?

The radical of 灣 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 灣 under this radical.

What is the simplified form of 灣?

灣 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 湾, used in mainland China and Singapore.

Why is Taiwan written with 灣?

Taiwan is 台灣 (Táiwān), and the 灣 refers to a bay. In simplified Chinese it is written 台湾.

Can 灣 be used as a verb?

Yes, dictionaries list a sense meaning to moor or anchor a boat. This use is rare in modern speech, where 停 (tíng) or 停泊 (tíngbó) is more common.