韧 meaning and stroke order
Tough, strong; pliable
How to write 韧, 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 韧
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- annealed
- pliable but strong
- tough
- tenacious
- variant of 韌|韧[ren4]
- old variant of 韌|韧[ren4]
How 韧 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Leather.
韦 gives the meaning and 刃 hints at the sound.
Radical: 韦 (tanned leather), shared by 6 characters on this site.
How to remember 韧
The left part 韦 (wéi) means leather, and the right part 刃 (rèn) is a blade that gives the sound. Picture leather so tough that even a blade struggles to cut it. That is 韧 (rèn), strong but able to bend.
韧 describes something that bends without breaking, for materials or for a person's spirit. It almost always appears in compounds like 坚韧 (jiānrèn) and 韧性 (rènxìng). Example: 她是一个很坚韧的人。(Tā shì yí gè hěn jiānrèn de rén.) She is a very tenacious person.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 韧 with 刃 (rèn, blade) or 忍 (rěn, to endure) because they share the 刃 part and sound alike. Remember that 韧 has the leather part 韦 and is fourth tone, while 忍 has 心 underneath and is third tone.
Common words with 韧
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
韧 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 韧
How many strokes are in 韧?
韧 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 韧 mean?
韧 (rèn) means tough, strong; pliable. A common word with it is 坚韧 (jiānrèn), meaning "tough and durable; tenacious".
How do you pronounce 韧?
韧 is pronounced rèn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 韧?
The radical of 韧 is 韦, which carries the idea of "tanned leather". Dictionaries list 韧 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 韧?
The traditional form of 韧 is 靭, 靱 and 韌. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 韧 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 韧 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 韧 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 韧 and 硬?
硬 (yìng) means hard and stiff, so it may snap under force. 韧 means tough and flexible, able to bend and absorb force without breaking.
Can 韧 be used to describe food?
Yes. 韧 is used for chewy or tough textures, for example 这块肉很韧 (zhè kuài ròu hěn rèn), this meat is tough. In daily speech people also say 筋道 (jīndao) for a pleasant chewiness.