蘭 meaning and stroke order
Orchid; elegant, graceful
How to write 蘭, stroke by stroke
21 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 蘭
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- orchid (蘭花|兰花 Cymbidium goeringii)
- fragrant thoroughwort (蘭草|兰草 Eupatorium fortunei)
- lily magnolia (木蘭|木兰)
How 蘭 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Flower.
艹 gives the meaning and 闌 hints at the sound.
Radical: 艹 (grass), shared by 421 characters on this site.
How to remember 蘭
蘭 (lán) is a plant word: the grass radical 艹 on top marks it as a flower, and 闌 (lán) underneath gives the sound. Picture an orchid growing over a gate 門 that guards something precious, since orchids are prized and elegant.
蘭 is the traditional form of 兰, used in Taiwan and Hong Kong. It appears in flower names like 蘭花 (lánhuā, orchid) and very often as a sound in foreign names and loanwords, such as 荷蘭 (Hélán, the Netherlands) and 白蘭地 (báilándì, brandy). Example: 她很喜歡蘭花。(Tā hěn xǐhuan lánhuā.) She really likes orchids.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 蘭 with 欄 (lán, railing or column), which shares the 闌 part but has the wood radical 木 on the left instead of 艹 on top. Also do not mix it up with 藍 (lán, blue), which has the same sound and grass radical but a different bottom part.
Common words with 蘭
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 伊斯蘭教 | Yīsīlánjiào | Islam | HSK 7-9 |
| 法蘭 | fǎlán | flange (loanword) | |
| 白蘭地 | báilándì | (loanword) brandy | |
| 龍舌蘭 | lóngshélán | agave (genus of plants); (esp.) Agave americana; agave-based spirit; (esp.) tequila (disti | |
| 蘭花 | lánhuā | cymbidium; orchid | |
| 蘭姆 | Lánmǔ | rum (beverage) (loanword) | |
| 紫羅蘭 | zǐluólán | (botany) common stock; gillyflower (Matthiola incana); (botany) violet | |
| 鈴蘭 | línglán | lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) | |
| 木蘭 | Mùlán | lily magnolia (Magnolia liliflora) | |
| 西蘭花 | xīlánhuā | broccoli |
Questions about 蘭
How many strokes are in 蘭?
蘭 is written with 21 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 蘭 mean?
蘭 (lán) means orchid; elegant, graceful. A common word with it is 伊斯兰教 (Yīsīlánjiào), meaning "Islam".
How do you pronounce 蘭?
蘭 is pronounced lán, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 蘭?
The radical of 蘭 is 艹, which carries the idea of "grass". Dictionaries list 蘭 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 蘭?
蘭 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 兰, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Why does 蘭 appear in so many country and drink names?
Because of its sound lán, it is a common choice for transcribing foreign syllables like "lan" or "ran". You see it in 荷蘭 (Hélán, Netherlands), 伊斯蘭教 (Yīsīlánjiào, Islam), and 蘭姆 (lánmǔ, rum).
Is 蘭 used in people's names?
Yes, it is a popular character in Chinese given names, especially for women, because the orchid suggests elegance and good character. The famous legend of 花木蘭 (Huā Mùlán) uses it, and 木蘭 alone also means lily magnolia.