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彦 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
彦yànelegantzg, 9 strokes, radical 彡, rank #80308, Very Hard
彦yànaccomplishedunknown, 9 strokes, radical 彡, rank #80308, Very Hard
yàn(yan4)yan T4
  1. 1elegant
  2. 2accomplished
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March 24, 2026

彦(彥)yàn(yan4)

The character 彦 (yàn) refers to someone who is elegant, accomplished, or learned. It is often used in contexts related to intellectual or artistic refinement, suggesting a person of high culture or ability, and is frequently found in literary or academic discussions.

Strokes9Radical彡Frequency#80308DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In ancient China, the term 彦 was often used to describe scholars and poets, highlighting the high regard for education and cultural achievement in Chinese society. It reflects the traditional value placed on learning and refinement.

Memory Tip

Imagine a graceful swan (representing elegance) floating on a serene lake. The character 彦 has a resemblance to a refined figure, with the top part symbolizing the head and the bottom part suggesting a flowing robe, emphasizing the idea of elegance and sophistication.

Meanings of 彦

yàn(yan4)
1elegant
2accomplished
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 彦

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

Podcast: 彦

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Podcast: 彦

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AI Study Notes for 彦

Quick Contrast

雅 (yǎ) - choose 彦 when emphasizing learnedness or accomplishment, while 雅 focuses more on elegance and refinement.

Usage Notes

Be cautious not to confuse 彦 with similar-sounding words, as it has a specific connotation of refinement. It is more formal and often appears in literary contexts rather than everyday conversation. Common collocations include phrases like '文彦' (cultured person) and '才彦' (talented individual).

HSK Study Tips

Although 彦 is not included in HSK levels, it connects well with other HSK vocabulary related to education and culture. Students should focus on its use in formal contexts and recognize its connections to other words that denote skill and talent.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 彦 with 颜 (yán), which means 'face' or 'appearance'. For example, saying '我觉得他很颜' is incorrect; it should be '我觉得他很彦' to convey that someone is elegant or accomplished.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 彦

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Etymology of 彦

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)产
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

彦 = 彡 + 产. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 彦

IDS Structure⿱产彡
彦Full Character
=
产chan3
top
彡shan1
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 彦?

How to say elegant in Chinese

“elegant” in Chinese is彦yàn

The character 彦 (yàn) refers to someone who is elegant, accomplished, or learned. It is often used in contexts related to intellectual or artistic refinement, suggesting a person of high culture or ability, and is frequently found in literary or academic discussions.

When to use 彦

Be cautious not to confuse 彦 with similar-sounding words, as it has a specific connotation of refinement. It is more formal and often appears in literary contexts rather than everyday conversation. Common collocations include phrases like '文彦' (cultured person) and '才彦' (talented individual).

彦 or something close to it

雅 (yǎ) - choose 彦 when emphasizing learnedness or accomplishment, while 雅 focuses more on elegance and refinement.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 彦 with 颜 (yán), which means 'face' or 'appearance'. For example, saying '我觉得他很颜' is incorrect; it should be '我觉得他很彦' to convey that someone is elegant or accomplished.

Write 彦

彦

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

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Word Family of 彦

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

Words with 彦

What does 李彦宏 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 彦

The correct pronunciation is 'yàn', with a falling tone.

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