电 meaning and stroke order
Lightning; electricity; electric (bound form)
How to write 电, stroke by stroke
5 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
Meaning of 电
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- lightning
- electricity
- electric (bound form)
- to get (or give) an electric shock
- phone call or telegram etc
- to send via telephone or telegram etc
How 电 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Simplified form of 電; lightning 申 from a storm cloud 雨.
Radical: 曰 (to speak), shared by 14 characters on this site.
How to remember 电
The traditional form 電 shows lightning 申 flashing out of a storm cloud 雨. In the simplified 电, picture the box 曰 as the cloud and the hooked tail 乚 as a bolt of lightning shooting out the bottom.
电 (diàn) rarely stands alone and usually appears in words for modern technology, like 电话 (diànhuà, phone), 电视 (diànshì, TV), and 电脑 (diànnǎo, computer). Example: 我晚上给你打电话。(Wǒ wǎnshang gěi nǐ dǎ diànhuà.) I will call you tonight.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 电 with 由 (yóu) or 申 (shēn), which look similar but have no hooked tail. In 电 the vertical stroke passes through the box and ends in a hook curving right.
Common words with 电
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 电话 | diànhuà | telephone; phone call | HSK 1 |
| 打电话 | dǎ diànhuà | to make a telephone call | HSK 1 |
| 电影 | diànyǐng | movie; film | HSK 1 |
| 电视 | diànshì | television; TV | HSK 1 |
| 电脑 | diànnǎo | computer | HSK 1 |
| 电影院 | diànyǐngyuàn | cinema; movie theater | HSK 1 |
| 电视机 | diànshìjī | television set | HSK 1 |
| 电台 | diàntái | transmitter-receiver; broadcasting station | HSK 3 |
| 电视台 | diànshìtái | television station | HSK 3 |
| 电子邮件 | diànzǐ yóujiàn | HSK 3 | |
| 电视剧 | diànshìjù | TV series; TV drama | HSK 3 |
| 电梯 | diàntī | elevator; escalator | HSK 4 |
| 闪电 | shǎndiàn | lightning | HSK 4 |
| 电源 | diànyuán | electric power source | HSK 4 |
电 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 电
Learning 电 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 电
How many strokes are in 电?
电 is written with 5 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 电 mean?
电 (diàn) means lightning; electricity; electric (bound form). A common word with it is 电话 (diànhuà), meaning "telephone; phone call".
How do you pronounce 电?
电 is pronounced diàn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 电?
The radical of 电 is 曰, which carries the idea of "to speak". Dictionaries list 电 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 电?
The traditional form of 电 is 電. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 电 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 电 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 电 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.
Why does 电脑 mean computer?
电脑 (diànnǎo) literally means electric brain. Chinese often builds new tech words this way, combining 电 with a familiar word, such as 电影 (diànyǐng), literally electric shadow, for movie.
Can 电 be used as a verb?
Yes, in casual speech 电 can mean to get an electric shock, as in 我被电了 (wǒ bèi diàn le), I got shocked. It can also mean to send by telegram or phone in formal writing.