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儇 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
儇xuānclever, nimbleg, 15 strokes, radical 亻
儇xuāningeniousunknown, 15 strokes, radical 亻
儇xuānfrivolousunknown, 15 strokes, radical 亻
xuān(xuan1)xuan T1
  1. 1clever, nimble
  2. 2ingenious
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March 24, 2026

儇xuān(xuan1)

The character 儇 (xuān) refers to a sense of cleverness or nimbleness, often associated with being ingenious or quick-witted. It can also carry a nuance of frivolousness, suggesting a lack of seriousness in certain contexts. This word is not commonly used in everyday conversation but might be found in literary texts or formal writing.

Strokes15Radical亻
Cultural note

In Chinese literature, cleverness is often celebrated in character portrayals, and 儇 embodies the admiration for quick wit. This can be seen in classical poetry where characters are depicted as both intelligent and playful.

Memory tip

Imagine a nimble squirrel (the radical 儿) that cleverly navigates through trees, representing cleverness and agility. The sound 'xuān' can remind you of a 'swan' gliding effortlessly, symbolizing grace and clever movement that can also seem frivolous.

Meanings of 儇

xuān(xuan1)
1clever, nimble
2ingenious
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 儇

儇Simplified
15Strokes
亻Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

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Podcast: 儇

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AI study notes for 儇

Usage Notes

Learners may confuse 儇 with similar-sounding words, so it's important to pay attention to context. This word is more formal, often appearing in literary or poetic contexts rather than in everyday speech. Common collocations include phrases that highlight cleverness or agility.

HSK Study Tips

Since 儇 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, learners at higher levels should focus on understanding its literary usage and identifying synonyms. It connects with other words that describe intelligence or quick thinking, which could enhance vocabulary comprehension.

Common Mistakes

A common mistake is confusing 儇 with its synonyms and using it in the wrong context. For example, saying '我很儇' (wǒ hěn xuān) to mean 'I am clever' is inaccurate; a better choice would be '我很聪明' (wǒ hěn cōngmíng).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 儇

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Etymology of 儇

Formation typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory hint

person

Semantic (meaning)亻
+
Phonetic (sound)睘
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

儇 = 亻 + 睘. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 儇

IDS Structure⿰亻睘
儇Full character
=
亻ren2
left
睘qiong2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 儇?

How to say clever, nimble in Chinese

“clever, nimble” in Chinese is儇xuān

The character 儇 (xuān) refers to a sense of cleverness or nimbleness, often associated with being ingenious or quick-witted. It can also carry a nuance of frivolousness, suggesting a lack of seriousness in certain contexts. This word is not commonly used in everyday conversation but might be found in literary texts or formal writing.

When to use 儇

Learners may confuse 儇 with similar-sounding words, so it's important to pay attention to context. This word is more formal, often appearing in literary or poetic contexts rather than in everyday speech. Common collocations include phrases that highlight cleverness or agility.

What learners get wrong

A common mistake is confusing 儇 with its synonyms and using it in the wrong context. For example, saying '我很儇' (wǒ hěn xuān) to mean 'I am clever' is inaccurate; a better choice would be '我很聪明' (wǒ hěn cōngmíng).

Write 儇

儇

Practice writing 儇 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Word Family of 儇

Words containing this character2
儇xuāningenious
李儇Li Xuan, personal name of nineteenth Tang emperor Xizong 僖宗[Xī​zhōng] (862-888), reigned 873-888
Exercise 1 of 1

Words with 儇

What does 李儇 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 儇

No, 儇 is not commonly used in everyday conversations and is more often found in literary contexts.

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