煽 meaning and stroke order
To stir up, to incite; to agitate, to provoke
How to write 煽, stroke by stroke
14 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 煽
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to fan into a flame
- to incite
How 煽 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. To fan 扇 the flames 火; 扇 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 火 (fire), shared by 128 characters on this site.
How to remember 煽
Picture someone waving a fan 扇 (shàn) at a fire 火 until the flames jump higher. Fanning a fire is like stirring up people's anger or feelings, which is why 煽 (shān) means to incite.
煽 almost always appears in compound words rather than alone. 煽动 (shāndòng) is used for inciting people, usually in a negative sense, and 煽情 (shānqíng) describes something that tugs hard at emotions, like a sentimental movie. Example: 他煽动群众闹事。(Tā shāndòng qúnzhòng nàoshì.) He incited the crowd to make trouble.
Common mistake: Learners often write 扇 alone or read 煽 with the fourth tone like 扇 (shàn, a fan). Remember 煽 is first tone shān and needs the 火 on the left.
Common words with 煽
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 煽动 | shāndòng | to incite; to instigate | HSK 7-9 |
| 煽情 | shānqíng | to stir up emotion; to arouse sympathy |
煽 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 煽
How many strokes are in 煽?
煽 is written with 14 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 煽 mean?
煽 (shān) means to stir up, to incite; to agitate, to provoke. A common word with it is 煽动 (shāndòng), meaning "to incite; to instigate".
How do you pronounce 煽?
煽 is pronounced shān, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 煽?
The radical of 煽 is 火, which carries the idea of "fire". Dictionaries list 煽 under this radical.
Is 煽 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 煽 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is 煽动 always negative?
Mostly yes. 煽动 usually implies stirring people up to do something harmful, like riots or hatred. For positive motivation, Chinese speakers prefer words like 鼓动 (gǔdòng) or 激励 (jīlì).
What does 煽情 mean when describing a movie or speech?
It means the work is deliberately emotional, trying to make you cry or feel moved. It can be neutral, but it often carries a hint of criticism, similar to calling something overly sentimental in English.