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讞 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
讞yànto decide, to judge; decision, verdictx, 27 strokes, radical 言
yàn(yan4) T4
  1. 1to decide, to judge; decision, verdict
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March 24, 2026

讞yàn(yan4)

The character 讞 (yàn) refers to the actions of deciding or judging, often in a legal context. It is commonly used to denote a decision or verdict given in a court or formal setting, emphasizing the authoritative nature of the judgment.

Strokes27Radical言
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese society, the concept of judicial decisions was often tied to Confucian principles, emphasizing morality and societal harmony. The character reflects the weight and seriousness of making judgments.

Memory Tip

Think of 讞 (yàn) as a judge sitting in a courtroom. The left radical 讠 resembles a person speaking, while the right part '言' suggests words or speech. Together, they remind you that judgment involves spoken decisions.

Meanings of 讞

yàn(yan4)
1to decide, to judge; decision, verdict
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 讞

讞Simplified
27Strokes
言Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 讞

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Podcast: 讞

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AI Study Notes for 讞

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 讞 (yàn) with similar characters like 判 (pàn), which also means to judge but is more general. This character is typically used in formal contexts, such as legal documents or discussions about justice.

HSK Study Tips

While 讞 is not an HSK vocabulary word, understanding it can enhance your grasp of legal terms in Chinese. Focus on its usage in legal texts and practice forming sentences that involve decision-making.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 讞 (yàn) with words like 议 (yì), which means to discuss. For instance, saying '我在法庭上进行议' (Wǒ zài fǎtíng shàng jìnxíng yì) is incorrect; the correct phrase would be '我在法庭上进行讞' (Wǒ zài fǎtíng shàng jìnxíng yàn).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 讞

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Etymology of 讞

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

speech

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 讞

  1. 1The meaning half言 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half獻 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 讞? 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 讞?

Decomposition of 讞

IDS Structure⿰言獻
讞Full Character
=
言yan2
left
獻xian4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 讞?

How to say to decide, to judge; decision, verdict in Chinese

“to decide, to judge; decision, verdict” in Chinese is讞yàn

The character 讞 (yàn) refers to the actions of deciding or judging, often in a legal context. It is commonly used to denote a decision or verdict given in a court or formal setting, emphasizing the authoritative nature of the judgment.

When to use 讞

Be careful not to confuse 讞 (yàn) with similar characters like 判 (pàn), which also means to judge but is more general. This character is typically used in formal contexts, such as legal documents or discussions about justice.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 讞 (yàn) with words like 议 (yì), which means to discuss. For instance, saying '我在法庭上进行议' (Wǒ zài fǎtíng shàng jìnxíng yì) is incorrect; the correct phrase would be '我在法庭上进行讞' (Wǒ zài fǎtíng shàng jìnxíng yàn).

Write 讞

讞

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

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Word Family of 讞

Words Containing This Character1
谳yànto decide judicially讞
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 谳 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 讞

Some synonyms include 判决 (pànjué), which means judgment, and 裁定 (cáidìng), which refers to a ruling.

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