炫 meaning and stroke order
To glitter, to shine; to show off, to flaunt
How to write 炫, stroke by stroke
9 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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- 9
Meaning of 炫
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to dazzle
- (bound form) to boast; to show off
- (slang) cool; awesome
- (slang) to gobble down
How 炫 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Fire.
火 gives the meaning and 玄 hints at the sound.
Radical: 火 (fire), shared by 128 characters on this site.
How to remember 炫
Fire 火 on the left gives the idea of bright, dazzling light, and 玄 (xuán) on the right gives the sound. Picture someone holding up a flame so everyone notices them shining.
炫 most often appears in 炫耀 (xuànyào), meaning to show off or flaunt, usually with a slightly negative tone. In casual speech, 炫 alone can mean cool or awesome, as in 这个手机好炫 (zhège shǒujī hǎo xuàn), "This phone is so cool."
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 炫 (xuàn) with 眩 (xuàn, dizzy, as in 头晕目眩), which has the eye radical 目 and the same sound. They also say it with a second tone because of 玄 (xuán), but 炫 is fourth tone.
Common words with 炫
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 炫耀 | xuànyào | dazzling; to show off; to flaunt | HSK 7-9 |
炫 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 炫
How many strokes are in 炫?
炫 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 炫 mean?
炫 (xuàn) means to glitter, to shine; to show off, to flaunt. A common word with it is 炫耀 (xuànyào), meaning "dazzling; to show off; to flaunt".
How do you pronounce 炫?
炫 is pronounced xuàn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 炫?
The radical of 炫 is 火, which carries the idea of "fire". Dictionaries list 炫 under this radical.
Is 炫 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 炫 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is 炫耀 always negative?
Usually it suggests showing off in an annoying way, as in 他喜欢炫耀他的车 (tā xǐhuan xuànyào tā de chē), "He likes to show off his car." In older or literary writing it can simply mean dazzling or shining.
What does 炫富 mean?
炫富 (xuànfù) means to flaunt one's wealth. It is a common internet word, often used to criticize people who post expensive things online.