远 meaning and stroke order
Far; distant; remote
How to write 远, stroke by stroke
7 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Meaning of 远
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- far
- distant
- remote
- (intensifier in a comparison) by far
- much (lower etc)
- to distance oneself from (classical)
How 远 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Walk.
辶 gives the meaning and 元 hints at the sound.
Radical: 辶 (to walk), shared by 131 characters on this site.
How to remember 远
远 is built from 辶 (walk) and 元 (yuán), which gives the sound. Picture yourself walking and walking along the road of 辶 to reach something far away, and remember that 元 sounds close to yuǎn.
远 describes physical distance, and it also appears in time words like 永远 (yǒngyuǎn, forever) and 长远 (chángyuǎn, long-term). To say a place is far from somewhere, use 离 with it: 我家离学校很远。(Wǒ jiā lí xuéxiào hěn yuǎn.) My home is far from school.
Common mistake: Learners often write 元 inside 辶 incorrectly or mix up 远 with 近 (jìn, near), which uses the same 辶 radical but has 斤 inside. Also note the third tone: yuǎn, not yuán like 元.
Common words with 远
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 永远 | yǒngyuǎn | forever; eternal | HSK 2 |
| 跳远 | tiàoyuǎn | long jump (athletics) | HSK 3 |
| 远处 | yuǎnchù | distant place | HSK 5 |
| 远离 | yuǎnlí | to be far from; to keep away from | HSK 6 |
| 远远 | yuǎnyuǎn | distant; by far | HSK 6 |
| 远方 | yuǎnfāng | far away; a distant location | HSK 6 |
| 长远 | chángyuǎn | long-term; long-range | HSK 6 |
| 遥远 | yáoyuǎn | distant; remote | HSK 7-9 |
| 望远镜 | wàngyuǎnjìng | telescope (CL:部[bu4]); binoculars (CL:副[fu4]) | HSK 7-9 |
| 远程 | yuǎnchéng | remote; long distance | HSK 7-9 |
| 偏远 | piānyuǎn | remote; far from civilization | HSK 7-9 |
| 深远 | shēnyuǎn | far-reaching; profound and long-lasting | HSK 7-9 |
| 老远 | lǎo yuǎn | very far away | HSK 7-9 |
| 远见 | yuǎnjiàn | foresight; discernment | HSK 7-9 |
远 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 远
How many strokes are in 远?
远 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 远 mean?
远 (yuǎn) means far; distant; remote. A common word with it is 永远 (yǒngyuǎn), meaning "forever; eternal".
How do you pronounce 远?
远 is pronounced yuǎn, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 远?
The radical of 远 is 辶, which carries the idea of "to walk". Dictionaries list 远 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 远?
The traditional form of 远 is 遠. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 远 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 远 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 远 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
How do I say 'by far' using 远?
Use 远远 before a comparison, as in 他远远比我高 (tā yuǎnyuǎn bǐ wǒ gāo), he is by far taller than me. You can also say 远远不够 (yuǎnyuǎn bú gòu), far from enough.
What does 远离 mean and when is it used?
远离 (yuǎnlí) means to be far from or to keep away from something. It is common in advice and signs, for example 远离毒品 (yuǎnlí dúpǐn), stay away from drugs.