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緣 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
緣yuánreason, cause; fate; margin, hemzg, 15 strokes, radical 糹
yuán(yuan2) T2
  1. 1reason, cause; fate; margin, hem
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March 24, 2026

緣yuán(yuan2)

The character 緣 (yuán) encompasses meanings related to reason, cause, and fate, often implying a deeper connection or destiny between people or events. It's commonly used in phrases discussing relationships, serendipity, or situations where circumstances align in a significant way.

Strokes15Radical糹
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of fate represented by 緣 is significant, especially regarding relationships and marriages, where it is often believed that individuals are destined to meet each other.

Memory Tip

Imagine a string (the radical 糸) connecting two people, symbolizing their fate. The character's shape resembles a web that binds lives together, making it easier to remember that 緣 relates to connections and destiny.

Meanings of 緣

yuán(yuan2)
1reason, cause; fate; margin, hem
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 緣

緣Simplified
15Strokes
糹Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 緣

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Podcast: 緣

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 緣

Quick Contrast

緣 (yuán) vs 原 (yuán) — use 緣 for connections and fate, while 原 refers to origin or source.

Usage Notes

Be mindful of using 緣 in both formal and informal contexts, particularly when discussing relationships or fate. Common collocations include 緣分 (yuánfèn, fate or predestined relationships) and 緣故 (yuángù, reason or cause). Also, watch for tone pitfalls; mispronouncing the second tone can change the meaning.

HSK Study Tips

Though not included in the HSK levels, understanding 緣 can deepen your grasp of concepts related to fate and causality in Chinese culture. Focus on its use in idiomatic expressions to enrich your vocabulary and comprehension of social interactions.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 緣 with 緣故 (yuángù), leading to incorrect use in phrases like '因緣' instead of '因故' when discussing reasons, which can change the intended meaning. Always check the context to ensure correct usage.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 緣

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Etymology of 緣

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

thread

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 緣

  1. 1The meaning half糹 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half彖 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaythread
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 緣? 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 緣?

Decomposition of 緣

IDS Structure⿰糹彖
緣Full Character
=
糹si1
left
彖tuan4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 緣?

How to say reason, cause; fate; margin, hem in Chinese

“reason, cause; fate; margin, hem” in Chinese is緣yuán

The character 緣 (yuán) encompasses meanings related to reason, cause, and fate, often implying a deeper connection or destiny between people or events. It's commonly used in phrases discussing relationships, serendipity, or situations where circumstances align in a significant way.

When to use 緣

Be mindful of using 緣 in both formal and informal contexts, particularly when discussing relationships or fate. Common collocations include 緣分 (yuánfèn, fate or predestined relationships) and 緣故 (yuángù, reason or cause). Also, watch for tone pitfalls; mispronouncing the second tone can change the meaning.

緣 or something close to it

緣 (yuán) vs 原 (yuán) — use 緣 for connections and fate, while 原 refers to origin or source.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 緣 with 緣故 (yuángù), leading to incorrect use in phrases like '因緣' instead of '因故' when discussing reasons, which can change the intended meaning. Always check the context to ensure correct usage.

Write 緣

緣

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 緣

Words Containing This Character20
边缘biānyuánedge邊緣
缘yuáncause緣
缘故yuángùreason緣故
缘分yuánfèn(Budd.) destiny緣分
无缘无故no cause, no reason (idiom); completely uncalled for無緣無故
无缘wúyuánno chance無緣
血缘xuèyuánbloodline血緣
人缘relations with other people人緣
缘由reason緣由
有缘related有緣
绝缘juéyuánto be cut off from絕緣
地缘geographic situation地緣
机缘chance機緣
缘于owing to緣於
姻缘a marriage predestined by fate姻緣
投缘to hit it off投緣
因缘chance因緣
结缘to form ties結緣
边缘化to marginalize邊緣化
情缘predestined love情緣
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 边缘 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 緣

In romantic contexts, 緣 often suggests a destined connection between two people, implying that their meeting is fated.

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