Skip to content
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
芊 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
芊qiānluxuriant foliagex, 6 strokes, radical 艹
芊qiāngreenunknown, 6 strokes, radical 艹
芊qiānluxuriant growthunknown, 6 strokes, radical 艹
qiān(qian1) T1
  1. 1luxuriant foliage
  2. 2green
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

芊qiān(qian1)

The character 芊 (qiān) refers to lush or luxuriant foliage, often depicting the beauty of abundant green plant life. It is commonly used in literary contexts to describe vibrant natural landscapes, symbolizing growth and vitality.

Strokes6Radical艹
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, lush greenery is often associated with prosperity and good fortune, especially in traditional gardening and landscape design, where abundance symbolizes wealth and harmony.

Memory Tip

Imagine a scene where countless delicate green leaves (the radical 芬, meaning 'fragrance' or 'greenery') are dancing in the wind, creating a lush, vibrant atmosphere. The pronunciation 'qiān' sounds like 'cheerful,' which you can associate with the joy of seeing such beautiful, green growth.

Meanings of 芊

qiān(qian1)
1luxuriant foliage
2green
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 芊

芊Simplified
6Strokes
艹Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 芊

JasonAmy

Podcast: 芊

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 芊

Quick Contrast

芊 (qiān) vs 翠 (cuì) — choose 芊 for lush foliage specifically, while 翠 emphasizes a deep green color.

Usage Notes

This character is more often found in written Chinese, particularly in poetry or formal texts, rather than in everyday conversation. Be careful with its pronunciation; the first tone is high and level, which can be confused with the second tone if mispronounced.

HSK Study Tips

While 芊 is not part of the standard HSK vocabulary, understanding it can enhance your reading of classical literature and poetry. Focus on recognizing it in context with other nature-related vocabulary, as it shares thematic connections with other words describing plants and landscapes.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 芊 with similar characters like 芳 (fāng) or 藤 (téng), which also relate to plants but have different meanings. For instance, using 芊 to describe a flower as 'fragrant' would be incorrect; instead, use 芳.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 芊

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 芊 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Etymology of 芊

Formation TypeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Memory Hint

A thousand 千 plants 艹; 千 also provides the pronunciation

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 芊

  1. 1The giveawayA thousand 千 plants 艹; 千 also provides the pronunciation
  2. 2On the record asideographic — someone drew an idea rather than an object.

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

Want the full history of 芊? 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 芊?

Decomposition of 芊

IDS Structure⿱艹千
芊Full Character
=
艹cao3
top
千qian1
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 芊?

How to say luxuriant foliage in Chinese

“luxuriant foliage” in Chinese is芊qiān

The character 芊 (qiān) refers to lush or luxuriant foliage, often depicting the beauty of abundant green plant life. It is commonly used in literary contexts to describe vibrant natural landscapes, symbolizing growth and vitality.

When to use 芊

This character is more often found in written Chinese, particularly in poetry or formal texts, rather than in everyday conversation. Be careful with its pronunciation; the first tone is high and level, which can be confused with the second tone if mispronounced.

芊 or something close to it

芊 (qiān) vs 翠 (cuì) — choose 芊 for lush foliage specifically, while 翠 emphasizes a deep green color.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 芊 with similar characters like 芳 (fāng) or 藤 (téng), which also relate to plants but have different meanings. For instance, using 芊 to describe a flower as 'fragrant' would be incorrect; instead, use 芳.

Write 芊

芊

Practice writing 芊 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 芊

Words Containing This Character1
芊qiāngreen
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 芊 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 芊

It can be used in poetic phrases such as 芊芊细草 (qiān qiān xì cǎo), meaning 'delicate lush grass'.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 芊?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.