薰 meaning and stroke order
A medicinal herb; to cauterize
How to write 薰, stroke by stroke
17 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 薰
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- sweet-smelling grass
- Coumarouna odorata
- tonka beans
- coumarin
How 薰 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Herb.
艹 gives the meaning and 熏 hints at the sound.
Radical: 艹 (grass), shared by 421 characters on this site.
How to remember 薰
薰 is grass 艹 on top of 熏 (xūn), which gives the sound and pictures smoke rising. Think of a fragrant herb whose scent drifts up like smoke.
Today 薰 mostly appears in words about fragrant plants and scent. The most common word is 薰衣草 (xūnyīcǎo), lavender. Example: 我喜欢薰衣草的味道。(Wǒ xǐhuan xūnyīcǎo de wèidao.) I like the smell of lavender.
Common mistake: Learners often write 熏 when they mean 薰, or the reverse. Remember the grass top 艹 for the plant word 薰衣草. Plain 熏 without grass is the usual choice for smoking or smoke-curing, as in 熏肉 (xūnròu), smoked meat.
Common words with 薰
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 薰衣草 | xūnyīcǎo | lavender (genus Lavandula) |
Questions about 薰
How many strokes are in 薰?
薰 is written with 17 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 薰 mean?
薰 (xūn) means a medicinal herb; to cauterize. A common word with it is 薰衣草 (xūnyīcǎo), meaning "lavender (genus Lavandula)".
How do you pronounce 薰?
薰 is pronounced xūn, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 薰?
The radical of 薰 is 艹, which carries the idea of "grass". Dictionaries list 薰 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 薰?
薰 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 熏, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 薰 pronounced the same as 熏?
Yes. Both are read xūn with the first tone, because 熏 is the sound part of 薰.
Can I use 薰 to say something smells nice?
Not by itself in everyday speech. People use words like 香 (xiāng) for fragrant, and 薰 shows up inside set words such as 薰衣草.