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鹽 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
鹽yánsaltx, 24 strokes, radical 鹵
yán(yan2)yan T2
  1. 1salt
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March 24, 2026

鹽yán(yan2)

The character 鹽 (yán) means 'salt' in Mandarin. It is a vital mineral used in cooking and food preservation, commonly found in various cuisines. Beyond its culinary uses, it also carries cultural significance in traditional medicine and rituals.

Strokes24Radical鹵
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, salt is often associated with health and longevity, and it is used in traditional rituals, such as during weddings and festivals, symbolizing purity and preservation.

Memory tip

Imagine a chef holding a large salt shaker, with the character 鹽 shaped like the shaker itself. The radical '氵' (water) suggests its connection to food and flavor, while the '鹽' resembles the sound of 'yán,' which can remind you of the word 'yummy' when food is well-seasoned.

Meanings of 鹽

yán(yan2)
1salt
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 鹽

鹽Simplified
24Strokes
鹵Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 鹽

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Podcast: 鹽

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AI study notes for 鹽

Usage Notes

A common mistake is using 鹽 in contexts where 'seasoning' might be more appropriate. The word is generally informal, but can also appear in more formal culinary discussions. Be careful with the fourth tone (yán) to avoid confusion with other words.

HSK Study Tips

While 鹽 is not included in the official HSK levels, it is relevant for HSK 2 or 3 students learning about food-related vocabulary. Focus on its pronunciation and usage in cooking-related contexts.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 鹽 with 醬 (jiàng, sauce), as both are related to flavoring food. Remember, 鹽 specifically refers to salt, whereas 醬 refers to sauces or condiments.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 鹽

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Etymology of 鹽

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

salt

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

Origin

鹽 = 鹵 + 皿. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 鹽

IDS Structure⿱⿰臣⿱?鹵皿
鹽Full character
=
臣Chen2
left
鹵lu3
top
皿min3
bottom
Exercise 1 of 3

Parts

Which of these is part of 鹽?

How to say salt in Chinese

“salt” in Chinese is鹽yán

The character 鹽 (yán) means 'salt' in Mandarin. It is a vital mineral used in cooking and food preservation, commonly found in various cuisines. Beyond its culinary uses, it also carries cultural significance in traditional medicine and rituals.

When to use 鹽

A common mistake is using 鹽 in contexts where 'seasoning' might be more appropriate. The word is generally informal, but can also appear in more formal culinary discussions. Be careful with the fourth tone (yán) to avoid confusion with other words.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 鹽 with 醬 (jiàng, sauce), as both are related to flavoring food. Remember, 鹽 specifically refers to salt, whereas 醬 refers to sauces or condiments.

Write 鹽

鹽

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

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Word Family of 鹽

Words containing this character20
盐yánsalt鹽
盐水yánshuǐYanshui town in Tainan county 台南縣|台南县[Tái​nán​xiàn], Taiwan鹽水
盐湖城yánhúchéngSalt Lake City, capital of Utah鹽湖城
盐酸yánsuānhydrochloric acid HCl鹽酸
食盐shíyánedible salt食鹽
生理盐水shēnglǐyánshuǐsaline (medicine)生理鹽水
硝酸盐xiāosuānyánnitrate硝酸鹽
盐城yánchéngYancheng prefecture level city in Jiangsu鹽城
盐湖yánhúsalt lake鹽湖
硅酸盐guīsuānyánsilicate硅酸鹽
盐巴yánbātable salt鹽巴
磷酸盐línsuānyánphosphate磷酸鹽
硫酸盐liúsuānyánsulfate硫酸鹽
盐碱yánjiǎnsaline and alkaline (earth)鹽鹼
柴米油盐cháimǐyóuyánlit. firewood, rice, oil and salt柴米油鹽
盐田yántiánYantian district of Shenzhen City 深圳市, Guangdong鹽田
海盐hǎiyánHaiyan county in Jiaxing 嘉興|嘉兴[Jiā​xīng], Zhejiang海鹽
盐碱地yánjiǎndìsaline soil鹽鹼地
岩盐yányánrock salt岩鹽
碳酸盐tànsuānyáncarbonate salt (chemistry)碳酸鹽
Exercise 1 of 4

Characters with 鹽

What does 盐 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 鹽

You can use it in sentences like '我需要买一些盐' (I need to buy some salt).

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