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渲 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
渲xuànto render; to exaggerate, to embellish, to add layers of colorv, 12 strokes, radical 氵, rank #63279, Very Hard
渲xuànwash (color)unknown, 12 strokes, radical 氵, rank #63279, Very Hard
xuàn(xuan4) T4
  1. 1to render; to exaggerate, to embellish, to add layers of color
  2. 2wash (color)
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

渲xuàn(xuan4)

The character 渲 (xuàn) primarily means to render or embellish, often used in contexts involving art and literature where color or detail is added to enhance the visual or emotional impact. It can also imply exaggeration, suggesting that something is presented in a more dramatic or colorful way than it actually is.

Strokes12Radical氵Frequency#63279DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the act of embellishing stories or art is valued as a way to convey deeper emotions and messages, reflecting the importance of aesthetics in artistic expressions and storytelling.

Memory Tip

Imagine a painter (the character's water radical 水) who adds vibrant colors to their artwork, 'washing' it with layers of emotion and detail. The sound 'xuàn' can be remembered as the swish of a brush as it adds life to a canvas.

Meanings of 渲

xuàn(xuan4)
1to render; to exaggerate, to embellish, to add layers of color
2wash (color)
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 渲

渲Simplified
12Strokes
氵Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 渲

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Podcast: 渲

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AI Study Notes for 渲

Quick Contrast

渲 (xuàn) vs 夸 (kuā) — choose 渲 when emphasizing artistic embellishment, while 夸 focuses on boasting or exaggeration in a more general sense.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 渲 with similar-sounding characters; it is often used in artistic contexts. It has a more formal tone, so it is best suited for written language or formal discussions about art. Common collocations include 渲染 (to render), which is frequently used in computer graphics.

HSK Study Tips

Although 渲 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, it connects well with terms related to art and expression. Focus on similar characters that involve embellishment or color, such as 彩 (cǎi) for color and 画 (huà) for painting.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 渲 with 选 (xuǎn), which means to choose. For example, saying '我渲这个项目' (wǒ xuàn zhège xiàngmù) instead of '我选这个项目' (wǒ xuǎn zhège xiàngmù) would be incorrect, as it changes the intended meaning from 'I choose this project' to 'I embellish this project'.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 渲

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Etymology of 渲

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

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 宣 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

water

Semantic (meaning)氵
+
Phonetic (sound)宣
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 渲

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 宣 represents the sound.

  1. 1The meaning half氵 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half宣 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaywater
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 渲? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 渲?

Decomposition of 渲

IDS Structure⿰氵宣
渲Full Character
=
氵shui3
left
宣Xuan1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 渲?

How to say to render; to exaggerate, to embellish, to add layers of color in Chinese

“to render; to exaggerate, to embellish, to add layers of color” in Chinese is渲xuàn

The character 渲 (xuàn) primarily means to render or embellish, often used in contexts involving art and literature where color or detail is added to enhance the visual or emotional impact. It can also imply exaggeration, suggesting that something is presented in a more dramatic or colorful way than it actually is.

When to use 渲

Be careful not to confuse 渲 with similar-sounding characters; it is often used in artistic contexts. It has a more formal tone, so it is best suited for written language or formal discussions about art. Common collocations include 渲染 (to render), which is frequently used in computer graphics.

渲 or something close to it

渲 (xuàn) vs 夸 (kuā) — choose 渲 when emphasizing artistic embellishment, while 夸 focuses on boasting or exaggeration in a more general sense.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 渲 with 选 (xuǎn), which means to choose. For example, saying '我渲这个项目' (wǒ xuàn zhège xiàngmù) instead of '我选这个项目' (wǒ xuǎn zhège xiàngmù) would be incorrect, as it changes the intended meaning from 'I choose this project' to 'I embellish this project'.

Write 渲

渲

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 渲

渲 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 2 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

这些图片大肆____染，会让一些比较年轻的读者们惶恐不安。

The pictures were sensationalist and could seriously disturb younger readers.

Example Sentences for 渲 (7)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
这些图片大肆渲染，会让一些比较年轻的读者们惶恐不安。

zhè xiē tú piàn dà sì xuàn rǎn， ， huì ràng yī xiē bǐ jiào nián qīng de dú zhě mén huáng kǒng bù。

The pictures were sensationalist and could seriously disturb younger readers.
2
导演在镜头运用上既富有美感又渲染了气氛，戏剧手法的运用也娴熟自如。

dǎo yǎn zài jìng tóu yùn yòng shàng jì fù yǒu měi gǎn yòu xuàn rǎn le qì fēn， ， xì jù shǒu fǎ de yùn yòng yě xián shú zì。

The director employs sensuous, atmospheric camerawork and deft dramatic touches.
3
当地的新闻机构因为对此事大肆渲染而备受指责。

dāng dì de xīn wén jī gòu yīn wéi duì cǐ shì dà sì xuàn rǎn ér bèi shòu zhǐ zé。

Local news organizations are being criticized for sensationalizing the story.
4
不要过于渲染, 告诉我们实情就行了.

bù yào guò yú xuàn rǎn, , gào sù wǒ mén shí qíng jiù háng.

Don't dramatise so much, just give us the facts.
5
32页的目录尽是些渲染节日喜庆的东西。

32 32 yè de mù lù jìn shì xiē xuàn rǎn jié rì xǐ qìng de dōng。

The 32-page catalog is chock-full of things that add fun to festive occasions.
6
肯咨狭死醋源蟛涣械叩木? 渲?

kěn zī xiá sǐ cù yuán péng huàn xiè kòu mù? ??

The top 11 tackled some classic tunes from the U. K.
7
有什么牢骚就渲泄出来,不要憋在肚子里.

yǒu shí mó láo sāo jiù xuàn xiè chū lái, , bù yào biē zài dù zǐ.

Let off some steam. Get in out of your system.

Word Family of 渲

Words Containing This Character2
渲染rendering (computing)
渲xuànwash (color)
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 渲染 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 渲

渲 (xuàn) refers to the act of embellishing or rendering, while 渲染 (xuànrǎn) specifically denotes the technical process of rendering in computer graphics.

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