缘 meaning and stroke order
Reason, cause; fate; margin, hem
How to write 缘, stroke by stroke
12 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 缘
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- cause
- reason
- karma
- fate
- predestined affinity
- margin
How 缘 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Thread.
纟 gives the meaning and 彖 hints at the sound.
Radical: 纟 (silk), shared by 143 characters on this site.
How to remember 缘
缘 has the silk radical 纟 (thread) on the left and 彖 (tuàn) on the right, which gives the sound. Picture a thread sewn along the hem of a cloth, and also the invisible thread of fate that ties two people together.
缘 rarely stands alone in modern Chinese and mostly appears in words like 缘分 (yuánfèn, fate that brings people together), 缘故 (yuángù, reason), and 边缘 (biānyuán, edge). Example: 我们能认识，真是缘分。 (Wǒmen néng rènshi, zhēn shì yuánfèn.) It really is fate that we met.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 缘 with 绿 (lǜ, green), since both have 纟 on the left and a busy right side. Also keep 缘 separate from 原 (yuán, original), which has the same sound: the reason word is 缘故 (yuángù), while 原因 (yuányīn) uses 原.
Common words with 缘
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 边缘 | biānyuán | edge; fringe; verge; brink; periphery; marginal; borderline | HSK 6 |
| 缘故 | yuángù | reason; cause | HSK 6 |
| 缘分 | yuánfèn | fate or chance that brings people together; predestined affinity or relationship | HSK 7-9 |
| 无缘 | wúyuán | to have no opportunity; no way (of doing sth) | HSK 7-9 |
| 血缘 | xuèyuán | bloodline | HSK 7-9 |
| 绝缘 | juéyuán | to have no contact with; to be cut off from | HSK 7-9 |
| 人缘儿 | rényuánr | erhua form of 人緣|人缘[ren2 yuan2] | HSK 7-9 |
| 无缘无故 | wúyuánwúgù | (idiom) no cause or reason; completely uncalled for | |
| 有缘 | yǒuyuán | related; brought together by fate | |
| 血缘关系 | xuèyuánguānxì | blood relationship; consanguinity | |
| 缘由 | yuányóu | reason; cause | |
| 姻缘 | yīnyuán | a marriage predestined by fate |
缘 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 缘
How many strokes are in 缘?
缘 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 缘 mean?
缘 (yuán) means reason, cause; fate; margin, hem. A common word with it is 边缘 (biānyuán), meaning "edge; fringe; verge; brink; periphery; marginal; borderline".
How do you pronounce 缘?
缘 is pronounced yuán, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 缘?
The radical of 缘 is 纟, which carries the idea of "silk". Dictionaries list 缘 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 缘?
The traditional form of 缘 is 緣. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 缘 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 缘 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 缘 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 缘故 and 原因?
Both mean reason or cause. 原因 (yuányīn) is the everyday, neutral word, while 缘故 (yuángù) sounds a bit more literary and often appears in phrases like 由于这个缘故 (for this reason).
What does 有缘 mean when people say it?
有缘 (yǒuyuán) means two people are fated to meet or have a natural connection. People say 我们很有缘 when they keep running into each other or click quickly, and the opposite is 无缘 (wúyuán), having no chance or connection.