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嫣 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
嫣yāncaptivating, charming, fascinatingb, 14 strokes, radical 女
yān(yan1)yan T1
  1. 1captivating, charming, fascinating
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March 24, 2026

嫣yān(yan1)

The character 嫣 (yān) conveys a sense of captivating beauty or charm, often used in literary contexts to describe someone or something that is enchanting. It implies an allure that captivates the observer's attention and affection. You'll frequently encounter this term in poetry or romantic literature, where aesthetics play a significant role.

Strokes14Radical女
Cultural note

In Chinese literature, beauty and charm are often idealized, and 嫣 is used to evoke classical notions of feminine allure, which can be traced back to historical poetry and art. This character reflects traditional values surrounding beauty and its significance in society.

Memory tip

Imagine a beautiful lady (representing charm) standing beneath a tree (木, which is a component of 嫣) while the sun sets in enchanting hues. The lady's captivating presence makes the entire scene 'yān' (yawn) as you can't help but stare in awe.

Meanings of 嫣

yān(yan1)
1captivating, charming, fascinating
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 嫣

嫣Simplified
14Strokes
女Radical
区别词distinguishing word (dist.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 嫣

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Podcast: 嫣

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AI Study Notes for 嫣

Usage Notes

When using 嫣, it is important to note that it is often used in a poetic or formal context, making it less common in everyday conversation. Avoid confusing it with similar sounding words that may carry different meanings. Common collocations include 嫣然一笑, which means 'a captivating smile.'

HSK Study Tips

Although 嫣 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it connects to other beauty-related words like 美 (měi, beautiful) and 妩媚 (wǔmèi, charming). Focus on understanding its usage in literary texts to enhance your comprehension of descriptive language in Mandarin.

Common Mistakes

Learners might confuse 嫣 with similar characters like 妍 (yán), which also relates to beauty but carries a different nuance. Ensure to use 嫣 specifically to denote captivating charm, not just general beauty.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 嫣

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Etymology of 嫣

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

woman

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

Origin

嫣 = 女 + 焉. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 嫣

IDS Structure⿰女焉
嫣Full character
=
女nü3
left
焉yan1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 嫣?

How to say captivating, charming, fascinating in Chinese

“captivating, charming, fascinating” in Chinese is嫣yān

The character 嫣 (yān) conveys a sense of captivating beauty or charm, often used in literary contexts to describe someone or something that is enchanting. It implies an allure that captivates the observer's attention and affection. You'll frequently encounter this term in poetry or romantic literature, where aesthetics play a significant role.

When to use 嫣

When using 嫣, it is important to note that it is often used in a poetic or formal context, making it less common in everyday conversation. Avoid confusing it with similar sounding words that may carry different meanings. Common collocations include 嫣然一笑, which means 'a captivating smile.'

What learners get wrong

Learners might confuse 嫣 with similar characters like 妍 (yán), which also relates to beauty but carries a different nuance. Ensure to use 嫣 specifically to denote captivating charm, not just general beauty.

Write 嫣

嫣

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

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Grammar Patterns of 嫣

嫣 carries one core meaning. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.

Exercise 1 of 2

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

你的花园将绿草成茵,姹紫____红.

Your garden will be full of green grass and gay flowers.

Example Sentences for 嫣 (2)

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1
你的花园将绿草成茵,姹紫嫣红.

nǐ de huāyuán jiāng lǜ cǎo chéng yīn, chà zǐ yān hóng.

Your garden will be full of green grass and gay flowers.
2
她的两颊上飞染了嫣红,眼睛是水汪汪地, 却带着几分倦态.

tā de liǎng jiá shàng fēi rǎn le yān hóng, yǎnjing shì shuǐ wāng wāng dì, què dài zhe jǐ fēn juàn tài.

Her cheeks were delicately flushed and her eyes clear and sparkling , though slightly tired.

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Word Family of 嫣

Words containing this character5
嫣yānlovely
嫣然beautiful
嫣然一笑to smile sweetly
嫣红bright red嫣紅
姹紫嫣红fig. beautiful purples and brilliant reds (idiom); lit. beautiful flowers奼紫嫣紅
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 嫣

What does 嫣然 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 嫣

No, 嫣 is more commonly found in poetry or literary contexts rather than in daily conversation.

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