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援 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
援yuánto helpvn, 12 strokes, radical 扌, rank #11705, Hard
援yuánto assistvn, 12 strokes, radical 扌, rank #11705, Hard
援yuánto aidvn, 12 strokes, radical 扌, rank #11705, Hard
援yuánto assist; to lead; to quote, to citevn, 12 strokes, radical 扌, rank #11705, Hard
yuán(yuan2) T2
  1. 1to help
  2. 2to assist
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March 24, 2026

援yuán(yuan2)

The character 援 (yuán) means to help or assist someone, often in a context that implies providing support or resources. It is commonly used in both formal and informal situations, particularly in discussions about aid or assistance in various fields, such as humanitarian efforts or support in education.

Strokes12Radical扌Frequency#11705DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of helping others is deeply rooted in Confucian values, where community support and collective welfare are highly regarded. The use of 援 is common in government and NGO contexts when discussing aid during disasters or poverty alleviation.

Memory Tip

Imagine a helping hand (the radical 扌 which represents 'hand') reaching out to assist someone in need. The character 援 looks like a hand (扌) giving support to a person (元), symbolizing the act of helping. Remember 'yuán' sounds like 'yarn' – weaving a connection of support.

Meanings of 援

yuán(yuan2)
1to help
2to assist
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

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About 援

援Simplified
12Strokes
扌Radical
名动词dòngcíverb-noun (v.-n.)Part of Speech
#11705Frequency Rank

Podcast: 援

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Podcast: 援

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AI Study Notes for 援

Quick Contrast

援 (yuán) vs 帮 (bāng) — use 援 for formal or resource-based assistance, while 帮 is more casual and general.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a helping hand (the radical 扌 which represents 'hand') reaching out to assist someone in need. The character 援 looks like a hand (扌) giving support to a person (元), symbolizing the act of helping. Remember 'yuán' sounds like 'yarn' – weaving a connection of support.

Usage Notes

Be cautious not to confuse 援 with similar-sounding characters that have different meanings. While it can be used in both formal and informal contexts, it is often found in written language related to assistance or support. Common collocations include 援助 (yuánzhù, aid) and 援引 (yuányǐn, to quote).

HSK Study Tips

Although 援 is not in the official HSK levels, it can be useful to students at HSK 4 and above. Focus on its usage in phrases related to help and support, as this character can enhance vocabulary in discussions about social issues or literature.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of helping others is deeply rooted in Confucian values, where community support and collective welfare are highly regarded. The use of 援 is common in government and NGO contexts when discussing aid during disasters or poverty alleviation.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 援 with 帮 (bāng), thinking they are interchangeable, but 援 carries a more formal connotation of assistance. For example, saying '我援他' (I help him) should be corrected to '我帮助他' (I help him) in casual conversation.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 援

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Etymology of 援

Formation TypeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Memory Hint

To lead 爰 by hand 扌; 爰 also provides the pronunciation

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 援?

Decomposition of 援

IDS Structure⿰扌爰
援Full Character
=
扌shou3
left
爰Yuan2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 援?

Write 援

援

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

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Grammar Patterns of 援

援 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 4 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

增____部队中仅有约1/3是常备军。

Only about a third of the reinforcements will be regular troops.

Example Sentences for 援 (10)

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1
增援部队中仅有约1/3是常备军。

zēng yuán bù duì zhōng jǐn yǒu yuē1/3 1/3 shì cháng bèi。

Only about a third of the reinforcements will be regular troops.
2
救援部门一直在日夜不停地工作，解救被困司机。

jiù yuán bù mén yī zhí zài rì yè bù tíng dì gōng zuò， ， jiě jiù bèi kùn sī。

Rescue services have been working round the clock to free stranded motorists.
3
但是整个援助问题是个非常复杂的政治问题。

dàn shì zhěng gè yuán zhù wèn tí shì gè fēi cháng fù zá de zhèng zhì wèn tí。

But the whole question of aid is a tricky political one.
4
英国无法给奥地利人提供直接援助。

yīng guó wú fǎ gěi ào dì lì rén tí gōng zhí jiē yuán zhù。

The British could do nothing directly to help the Austrians.
5
一些人以低息贷款的形式得到了有力的职业援助。

yī xiē rén yǐ dī xī dài kuǎn de xíng shì dé dào le yǒu lì de zhí yè yuán zhù。

Some received substantial occupational assistance in the form of low-interest loans.
6
一旦大火熄灭，救援小组就会马上进入。

yī dàn dà huǒ xī miè， ， jiù yuán xiǎo zǔ jiù huì mǎ shàng jìn。

Once the fire has died out, the salvage team will move in.
7
援助款到明年才会下拨。

yuán zhù kuǎn dào míng nián cái huì xià bō。

The aid will not be disbursed until next year.
8
他早先说他不会伸手去乞求援助。

tā zǎo xiān shuō tā bù huì shēn shǒu qù qǐ qiú yuán zhù。

He said earlier that he is not holding out a begging bowl.
9
法律援助机构通常可以帮助引荐到其他类型的机构去。

fǎ lǜ yuán zhù jī gòu tōng cháng kě yǐ bāng zhù yǐn jiàn dào qí tā lèi xíng de jī gòu qù。

Legal Aid can often provide referral to other types of agencies.
10
内战阻碍着救援机构对饥荒赈济物资的配给。

nèi zhàn zǔ ài zháo jiù yuán jī gòu duì jī huāng zhèn jì wù zī de pèi gěi。

The civil war is obstructing distribution of famine relief by aid agencies.

Cultural Notes for 援

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, the concept of helping others is deeply rooted in Confucian values, where community support and collective welfare are highly regarded. The use of 援 is common in government and NGO contexts when discussing aid during disasters or poverty alleviation.

🌏Cross-cultural Insight

In Western cultures, assistance often emphasizes individualism, whereas in Chinese culture, it reflects a communal responsibility to support one another.

Word Family of 援

Words Containing This Character20
支援zhīyuánto support
援助yuánzhùto help
救援jiùyuánto save
增援to reinforce
援yuánto help
外援wàiyuánexternal help
后援back-up後援
援引to quote
求援to ask for help
抗美援朝Resist US, help North Korea (1950s slogan)
援救to save
孤立无援isolated and without help孤立無援
声援to support (a cause)聲援
援兵reinforcement
援藏pro-Tibet
攀援climbing (plant)
驰援to rush to the rescue馳援
援用to quote
围城打援to besiege and strike the relief force (idiom); strategy of surrounding a unit to entice the enemy to reinforce, then striking the new troops圍城打援
请援to request help請援
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 支援 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 援

You can say '我们需要援助' (We need assistance) or '他援引了很多资料' (He quoted a lot of materials).