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彥 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
彥yànelegantzg, 9 strokes, radical 彡
yàn(yan4)yan T4
  1. 1elegant
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March 24, 2026

彥yàn(yan4)

The character 彥 (yàn) means 'elegant' or 'graceful.' It is often used to describe a person's demeanor, speech, or writing style that is refined and sophisticated. This character is not commonly used in daily conversation but may appear in literary or formal contexts.

Strokes9Radical彡
Cultural Note

In ancient Chinese culture, elegance (彥) was highly valued among scholars and poets, reflecting one's education and refinement. This character may also appear in the names of notable figures or in classical poetry, emphasizing their graceful traits.

Memory Tip

Imagine '彥' as a graceful figure (the left part resembles a person) standing elegantly upright, symbolizing elegance. The pronunciation 'yàn' can be remembered by linking it to 'yarn,' which can be woven into elegant patterns, just like how this character embodies refined qualities.

Meanings of 彥

yàn(yan4)
1elegant
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 彥

彥Simplified
9Strokes
彡Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 彥

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Podcast: 彥

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AI Study Notes for 彥

Quick Contrast

雅 (yǎ) vs 精 (jīng) — use 彥 (yàn) for 'elegant' in a literary sense, while 雅 (yǎ) emphasizes 'elegance' in taste or style, and 精 (jīng) focuses on 'refinement' in quality or skill.

Usage Notes

彥 is more formal and often found in literary texts or names rather than in everyday conversation. Learners should be cautious of using it in casual contexts. Common collocations include '彥語' (elegant speech) and '彥者' (elegant person).

HSK Study Tips

Although 彥 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, it connects well with other characters that express qualities or traits, such as 美 (měi, beautiful) and 優 (yōu, excellent). Students should focus on recognizing it in literature and understanding its connotation.

Common Mistakes

Learners may confuse 彥 with similar characters like 彦 (yàn, which also means elegant but is more commonly used). Another common mistake is using 彥 in casual conversation, where simpler words would be more appropriate.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 彥

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Etymology of 彥

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Simplified form of 彥. Depicts being accomplished in both literature (文) and military skill (弓). 厂 is a phonetic component.

Memory Hint

hair

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

Origin

彥 = 彡 + 文. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 彥

IDS Structure⿱文⿸厂彡
彥Full Character
=
文Wen2
top
厂chang3
enclosing
彡shan1
inner
Exercise 1 of 3

Parts

Which of these is part of 彥?

How to say elegant in Chinese

“elegant” in Chinese is彥yàn

The character 彥 (yàn) means 'elegant' or 'graceful.' It is often used to describe a person's demeanor, speech, or writing style that is refined and sophisticated. This character is not commonly used in daily conversation but may appear in literary or formal contexts.

When to use 彥

彥 is more formal and often found in literary texts or names rather than in everyday conversation. Learners should be cautious of using it in casual contexts. Common collocations include '彥語' (elegant speech) and '彥者' (elegant person).

彥 or something close to it

雅 (yǎ) vs 精 (jīng) — use 彥 (yàn) for 'elegant' in a literary sense, while 雅 (yǎ) emphasizes 'elegance' in taste or style, and 精 (jīng) focuses on 'refinement' in quality or skill.

What learners get wrong

Learners may confuse 彥 with similar characters like 彦 (yàn, which also means elegant but is more commonly used). Another common mistake is using 彥 in casual conversation, where simpler words would be more appropriate.

Write 彥

彥

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

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Word Family of 彥

Words Containing This Character9
彦yànelegant彥
李彦宏Robin Li (1968-), founder and CEO of Baidu 百度, a PRC Internet company李彥宏
巴彦Bayan county in Harbin 哈爾濱|哈尔滨[Hā​'ěr​bīn], Heilongjiang巴彥
巴彦淖尔市Bayan Nur prefecture-level city in Inner Mongolia巴彥淖爾市
野田佳彦Noda Yoshihiko, Prime Minister of Japan (2 September 2011 ~)野田佳彥
巴彦县Bayan county in Harbin 哈爾濱|哈尔滨[Hā​'ěr​bīn], Heilongjiang巴彥縣
巴彦淖尔Bayan Nur prefecture-level city in Inner Mongolia巴彥淖爾
高村正彦KOMURA Masahiko (1942-), Japanese politician, foreign minister from 1998, minister of defense from 2007高村正彥
韩彦直Han Yanzhi (1131-?), Song dynasty botanist, author of classification of orange trees 橘錄|橘录[jú​lù]韓彥直
Exercise 1 of 4

Characters with 彥

What does 彦 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 彥

彥 is often used in personal names to convey elegance and refinement, particularly in male names.

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