莲 meaning and stroke order
Lotus, water lily; paradise
How to write 莲, stroke by stroke
10 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 莲
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- lotus
How 莲 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Flower.
艹 gives the meaning and 连 hints at the sound.
Radical: 艹 (grass), shared by 421 characters on this site.
How to remember 莲
The grass radical 艹 on top marks a plant, and 连 (lián, to connect) below gives the sound. Picture lotus plants connected leaf to leaf across a pond.
莲 usually appears in compounds rather than alone, most often 莲花 (liánhuā, lotus flower) and 莲子 (liánzǐ, lotus seed). It is common in poetry, Buddhist imagery, food, and names. Example: 池塘里开满了莲花。(Chítáng lǐ kāi mǎn le liánhuā.) The pond is full of blooming lotus flowers.
Common mistake: Learners often write 连 (lián) when they mean 莲, since both sound the same. If the word is about the plant, flower, or seeds, it needs the 艹 on top.
Common words with 莲
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
莲 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 莲
How many strokes are in 莲?
莲 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 莲 mean?
莲 (lián) means lotus, water lily; paradise. A common word with it is 莲子 (liánzǐ), meaning "lotus seed".
How do you pronounce 莲?
莲 is pronounced lián, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 莲?
The radical of 莲 is 艹, which carries the idea of "grass". Dictionaries list 莲 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 莲?
The traditional form of 莲 is 蓮. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 莲 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 莲 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 莲 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 莲 and 荷?
Both can refer to the lotus. 荷 (hé) appears in words like 荷花 (héhuā) and 荷叶 (héyè, lotus leaf), while 莲 is used in 莲子 and 莲藕 (lián'ǒu, lotus root). 莲花 and 荷花 are largely interchangeable for the flower.
Why is the lotus 莲 important in Chinese culture?
The lotus grows from mud but stays clean, so it symbolizes purity and integrity. It is also a key symbol in Buddhism, which is why the definition includes paradise, as in a seat or land of lotuses.