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讌 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
讌yànbanquet, feast; to entertain, to feastx, 23 strokes, radical 言
yàn(yan4) T4
  1. 1banquet, feast; to entertain, to feast
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

讌yàn(yan4)

The character 讌 (yàn) refers to a banquet or feast, often implying a formal gathering where food and drink are served. It is commonly used in contexts involving hospitality, celebrations, and social gatherings, highlighting the importance of entertaining guests in Chinese culture.

Strokes23Radical言
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, hosting a banquet is a significant way to show respect and honor guests. Events like weddings and festivals often feature elaborate feasts, reflecting the value placed on hospitality.

Memory Tip

Imagine a grand feast where everyone is eagerly awaiting the food. The character 讌 resembles a group of people (the two horizontal strokes) gathered around a large table (the enclosing box) filled with delicious dishes, symbolizing the joy of sharing a meal together.

Meanings of 讌

yàn(yan4)
1banquet, feast; to entertain, to feast
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 讌

讌Simplified
23Strokes
言Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 讌

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Podcast: 讌

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AI Study Notes for 讌

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 讌 with similar characters that involve food or gatherings, such as 餐 (cān), which means meal. 讌 is more formal and is typically used in literary or official contexts, so avoid using it in casual conversation.

HSK Study Tips

While 讌 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, it connects to words related to dining and social events. Students should focus on related terms like 宴会 (yànhuì, banquet) to expand their understanding of social customs.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 讌 with 宴 (yàn), using it in informal contexts. For example, saying '我请你来我的讌' (I invite you to my banquet) is incorrect; '宴' is more appropriate here.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 讌

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Etymology of 讌

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

speech

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 讌

  1. 1The meaning half言 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half燕 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayspeech
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 讌? 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 讌?

Decomposition of 讌

IDS Structure⿰言燕
讌Full Character
=
言yan2
left
燕Yan1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 讌?

How to say banquet, feast; to entertain, to feast in Chinese

“banquet, feast; to entertain, to feast” in Chinese is讌yàn

The character 讌 (yàn) refers to a banquet or feast, often implying a formal gathering where food and drink are served. It is commonly used in contexts involving hospitality, celebrations, and social gatherings, highlighting the importance of entertaining guests in Chinese culture.

When to use 讌

Be careful not to confuse 讌 with similar characters that involve food or gatherings, such as 餐 (cān), which means meal. 讌 is more formal and is typically used in literary or official contexts, so avoid using it in casual conversation.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 讌 with 宴 (yàn), using it in informal contexts. For example, saying '我请你来我的讌' (I invite you to my banquet) is incorrect; '宴' is more appropriate here.

Write 讌

讌

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Frequently Asked Questions about 讌

It is pronounced as yàn, with a falling tone.

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