玩 meaning and stroke order
To play with, to joke, to entertain
How to write 玩, 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
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
Meaning of 玩
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to play
- to have fun
- to trifle with
- toy
- sth used for amusement
- curio or antique (Taiwan pr. [wan4])
How 玩 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Jade.
王 gives the meaning and 元 hints at the sound.
Radical: 王 (king), shared by 104 characters on this site.
How to remember 玩
The left side 王 here stands for jade, and the right side 元 (yuán) gives the sound. Picture someone turning a smooth piece of jade over in their hands just for fun, and you have 玩 (wán), to play.
玩 (wán) is an everyday verb for having fun, playing games, or hanging out, and in the north people often say 玩儿 (wánr). It also appears in words like 玩具 (wánjù, toy) and 开玩笑 (kāi wánxiào, to joke). Example: 周末我们去公园玩。(Zhōumò wǒmen qù gōngyuán wán.) We are going to the park to have fun this weekend.
Common mistake: Learners often write the right side as 无 or 元 confused with 完 (wán, to finish), which has a roof 宀 on top instead of 王 on the left. Both are read wán, so check the shape: 玩 is play, 完 is done.
Common words with 玩
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 开玩笑 | kāi wánxiào | to play a joke; to make fun of; to joke | HSK 1 |
| 玩儿 | wánr | to play; to have fun | HSK 1 |
| 好玩儿 | hǎowánr | erhua variant of 好玩[hao3 wan2] | HSK 1 |
| 玩具 | wánjù | plaything; toy | HSK 3 |
| 游玩 | yóuwán | to amuse oneself; to have fun | HSK 6 |
| 玩意儿 | wányìr | erhua variant of 玩意[wan2 yi4] | HSK 7-9 |
| 玩耍 | wánshuǎ | to play (as children do); to amuse oneself | HSK 7-9 |
| 贪玩儿 | tānwánr | erhua variant of 貪玩|贪玩[tan1 wan2] | HSK 7-9 |
| 吃喝玩乐 | chī-hē-wán-lè | (lit.) to eat, drink, play and be merry (idiom); (fig.) to abandon oneself to a life of pl | HSK 7-9 |
| 闹着玩儿 | nàozhewánr | to play games; to joke around | HSK 7-9 |
| 玩笑 | wánxiào | to joke; joke | |
| 好玩 | hǎowán | amusing; fun | |
| 玩意 | wányì | toy; plaything | |
| 玩弄 | wánnòng | to play with; to toy with |
玩 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 玩
How many strokes are in 玩?
玩 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 玩 mean?
玩 (wán) means to play with, to joke, to entertain. A common word with it is 开玩笑 (kāi wánxiào), meaning "to play a joke; to make fun of; to joke".
How do you pronounce 玩?
玩 is pronounced wán, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 玩?
The radical of 玩 is 王, which carries the idea of "king". Dictionaries list 玩 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 玩?
The traditional form of 玩 is 翫. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 玩 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 玩 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 玩 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
Can 玩 be used for adults, or only children?
Adults use it all the time. 我们去北京玩了三天 (Wǒmen qù Běijīng wán le sān tiān) means we went to Beijing for three days of sightseeing and fun. For children playing specifically, 玩耍 (wánshuǎ) is a more formal choice.
How do I say something is fun with 玩?
Use 好玩 (hǎowán) or 好玩儿 (hǎowánr), as in 这个游戏很好玩 (Zhège yóuxì hěn hǎowán), this game is really fun. It works for places, games, and activities.