穎 meaning and stroke order
Rice tassel; sharp; clever
How to write 穎, stroke by stroke
16 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 穎
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- head of grain
- husk
- tip
- point
- clever
- gifted
How 穎 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Rice.
禾 gives the meaning and 匕 hints at the sound.
Radical: 禾 (cereal), shared by 66 characters on this site.
How to remember 穎
Picture a stalk of grain 禾 (hé) with a sharp tip like a little spoon or dagger 匕 on top, next to a head 頁 (yè). The sharp tip of the grain stands out, just as a clever head stands out from the crowd.
穎 rarely appears alone in modern Chinese. It shows up in words about talent and originality, and in personal names. Example: 這個設計很新穎。(Zhège shèjì hěn xīnyǐng.) This design is very original.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 穎 with 潁 (yǐng), which has 水 water at the bottom left instead of 禾 and is the name of a river. Also note the simplified form 颖 uses 页 on the right, so do not mix the two scripts in one text.
Common words with 穎
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
Questions about 穎
How many strokes are in 穎?
穎 is written with 16 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 穎 mean?
穎 (yǐng) means rice tassel; sharp; clever. A common word with it is 脱颖而出 (tuōyǐng'érchū), meaning "to reveal one's talent (idiom); to rise above others; to distinguish oneself".
How do you pronounce 穎?
穎 is pronounced yǐng, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 穎?
The radical of 穎 is 禾, which carries the idea of "cereal". Dictionaries list 穎 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 穎?
穎 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 颖, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What does 脱颖而出 literally mean?
It literally describes the tip of an awl poking out through a bag, so something sharp cannot stay hidden. It is used to say someone's talent makes them stand out, as in 他在比赛中脱颖而出 (tā zài bǐsài zhōng tuōyǐng'érchū), he stood out in the competition.
Is 穎 common in Chinese names?
Yes. 穎 or 颖 is a popular given name character, especially for girls, because it suggests cleverness and talent. You will often see it in names like 李穎 (Lǐ Yǐng).