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顏 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
顏yánface, facial appearancex, 18 strokes, radical 頁, rank #63052, Very Hard
yán(yan2)yan T2
  1. 1face, facial appearance
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March 24, 2026

顏yán(yan2)

The character 顏 (yán) refers to the face or facial appearance of a person. It is often used in contexts discussing beauty, expressions, or overall appearance, and can also relate to the concept of 'face' in terms of reputation or social standing in Chinese culture.

Strokes18Radical頁Frequency#63052DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, having a good 顏 (yán) is often associated with social status and respect. The concept of 'face' (面子, miànzi) is crucial in social interactions, influencing personal and professional relationships.

Memory tip

Imagine a 'yán' (颜) face that is so vibrant and expressive that it lights up the room. The character looks like a person with a face (the top part resembling a head) sitting under a roof, suggesting the importance of one's appearance in a home or community.

Meanings of 顏

yán(yan2)
1face, facial appearance
Exercise 1 of 2

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About 顏

顏Simplified
18Strokes
頁Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 顏

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Podcast: 顏

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AI Study Notes for 顏

Quick Contrast

容 (róng) - use 顏 when specifically discussing facial appearance; use 容 for broader concepts of appearance or form.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 顏 (yán) with similar-sounding words that have different meanings, like 言 (yán) meaning 'speech'. This character is more common in formal contexts, so use it appropriately when discussing appearances or social status.

HSK Study Tips

Although 顏 is not officially part of the HSK vocabulary list, it connects with other characters related to appearance and emotion, such as 情 (qíng) meaning 'feeling'. Focus on recognizing how it combines with other components, like in the word 面 (miàn) for 'face'.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 顏 (yán) with similar-looking characters, such as 颜 (yán), which is the simplified form. Remember that 顏 is traditional and may be used in more formal or literary contexts.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 顏

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Etymology of 顏

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

Phonosemantic compound. 页 represents the meaning and 彦 represents the sound. Simplified form of 顏.

Memory hint

head

Semantic (meaning)頁
+
Phonetic (sound)彥
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

顏 = 頁 + 彥. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 顏

IDS Structure⿰彥頁
顏Full character
=
彥yan4
left
頁ye4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 顏?

How to say face, facial appearance in Chinese

“face, facial appearance” in Chinese is顏yán

The character 顏 (yán) refers to the face or facial appearance of a person. It is often used in contexts discussing beauty, expressions, or overall appearance, and can also relate to the concept of 'face' in terms of reputation or social standing in Chinese culture.

When to use 顏

Be careful not to confuse 顏 (yán) with similar-sounding words that have different meanings, like 言 (yán) meaning 'speech'. This character is more common in formal contexts, so use it appropriately when discussing appearances or social status.

顏 or something close to it

容 (róng) - use 顏 when specifically discussing facial appearance; use 容 for broader concepts of appearance or form.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 顏 (yán) with similar-looking characters, such as 颜 (yán), which is the simplified form. Remember that 顏 is traditional and may be used in more formal or literary contexts.

Write 顏

顏

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

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Word Family of 顏

Words containing this character20
颜色yánsècolor顏色
颜yáncolor顏
颜料paint顏料
颜面face顏面
容颜róngyánmien容顏
红颜youths紅顏
五颜六色wǔyánliùsèmulti-colored五顏六色
汗颜to blush with shame (literary)汗顏
喜笑颜开beaming with happiness喜笑顏開
笑逐颜开all smiles笑逐顏開
强颜欢笑to pretend to look happy強顏歡笑
和颜悦色amiable manner和顏悅色
厚颜无耻shameless厚顏無恥
颜真卿Yan Zhenqing (709-785), a leading calligrapher of the Tang Dynasty顏真卿
开颜to smile開顏
厚颜shameless厚顏
红颜薄命beautiful women suffer unhappy fates (idiom)紅顏薄命
颜渊Yan Yuan (521-481 BC), disciple of Confucius 孔夫子[Kǒng​fū​zǐ], also known as 顏回|颜回[Yán​Huí]顏淵
奴颜婢膝bending and scraping to curry favor奴顏婢膝
颜体Yan Style (in Chinese calligraphy)顏體
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 顏

What does 颜色 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 顏

It's often used to describe someone's appearance or to discuss beauty in a more formal context.

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