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盐 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
Hanzi
Pinyin
English
Tags
盐
yán
salt
HSK 4, n, 10 strokes, radical 皿, rank #4519, Medium
yán(yan2)yan T2
1salt
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March 24, 2026
盐(鹽)yán(yan2)
盐 (yán) means 'salt' in Mandarin. It is an essential mineral used in cooking and food preservation. In various contexts, it can also refer to the concept of seasoning or flavor enhancement in dishes.
Strokes10Radical皿Frequency#4519DifficultyMedium
Cultural note
In Chinese culture, salt has significant historical importance, once being a valuable commodity traded along the Silk Road. It also plays a role in traditional practices, such as in the preparation of certain dishes during festivals.
Memory tip
Think of a chef sprinkling salt (盐) on a dish to enhance its flavor. The character 盐 is composed of the radical for 'water' (氵) and the character for 'shallow' (弓), suggesting the importance of salt in cooking and its association with water.
Meanings of 盐
yán(yan2)
1salt
Exercise 1 of 3
By ear
Play it, then pick what 盐 means.
About 盐
盐Simplified
鹽Traditional
10Strokes
皿Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#4519Frequency Rank
粒Measure Word
HSK 2.0L4HSK 3.0L4IntermediateTOCFLL4HSKKL2CEFRB1
Podcast: 盐
Podcast: 盐
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AI study notes for 盐
Quick Contrast
盐 (yán) vs 糖 (táng) — pick 盐 when referring to a mineral used for seasoning, whereas 糖 refers to sugar, a sweetener.
Usage Notes
Be careful not to confuse 盐 with similar sounding words like 颜 (yán), which means 'color' or 'appearance'. 盐 is typically used in both formal and informal contexts, often appearing in culinary discussions. Collocations include phrases like '食盐' (shíyán - table salt) and '海盐' (hǎiyán - sea salt).
HSK Study Tips
As an HSK Level 4 word, 盐 connects with other food-related vocabulary like 糖 (táng - sugar) and 酱油 (jiàngyóu - soy sauce). Focus on using it in context, particularly within cooking and food discussions.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 盐 with 颜 (yán) due to their similar pronunciations. For example, saying '我喜欢颜' (Wǒ xǐhuān yán - I like color) when they mean 'I like salt' should be corrected to '我喜欢盐' (Wǒ xǐhuān yán).
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 盐
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盐 (yán) means 'salt' in Mandarin. It is an essential mineral used in cooking and food preservation. In various contexts, it can also refer to the concept of seasoning or flavor enhancement in dishes.
When to use 盐
Be careful not to confuse 盐 with similar sounding words like 颜 (yán), which means 'color' or 'appearance'. 盐 is typically used in both formal and informal contexts, often appearing in culinary discussions. Collocations include phrases like '食盐' (shíyán - table salt) and '海盐' (hǎiyán - sea salt).
盐 or something close to it
盐 (yán) vs 糖 (táng) — pick 盐 when referring to a mineral used for seasoning, whereas 糖 refers to sugar, a sweetener.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 盐 with 颜 (yán) due to their similar pronunciations. For example, saying '我喜欢颜' (Wǒ xǐhuān yán - I like color) when they mean 'I like salt' should be corrected to '我喜欢盐' (Wǒ xǐhuān yán).
Write 盐
盐
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Practice writing 盐 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar patterns of 盐
盐 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Exercise 1 of 4
Fill the gap
Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.
硝酸____是水和土壤中自然存在的化学物质。
Nitrates are chemicals that occur naturally in water and the soil.
Common confusions with 盐
盐vs醃
yān
Similar pronunciation but different meanings.
盐vs霖
lín
Different meanings and components despite similar appearance.
Season the steaks generously with salt and pepper.
9
太多的盐会盖住食物本来的味道。
tài duō de yán huì gài zhù shíwù běnlái de wèidào。
Too much salt masks the true flavour of the food.
10
请把盐递过来。
qǐng bǎ yán dì guòlái。
Pass the salt, please.
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Word Family of 盐
Words containing this character20
盐yánsalt鹽
盐水yánshuǐYanshui town in Tainan county 台南縣|台南县[Táinánxiàn], 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[Jiāxīng], 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
Words with 盐
What does 盐水 mean?
Frequently asked questions about 盐
In Chinese, 盐 (yán) is the most common term for salt. However, in some contexts, especially in traditional medicine, you may encounter terms like 食盐 (shí yán), meaning 'table salt' or 'edible salt.'
The measure word for 盐 (yán) is 粒 (lì), which is used for small grains or particles. You would say 一粒盐 (yī lì yán) to mean 'a grain of salt.'
盐 (yán) means 'salt' in Chinese. It is used in cooking and food preservation. The character can also signify a critical component in various chemical processes.
You can use 盐 (yán) in sentences related to cooking or seasoning. For example, '这道菜需要加盐' (Zhè dào cài xūyào jiā yán), which means 'This dish needs salt.' It can also be used in more figurative expressions.
'Sea salt' is 海盐 (hǎiyán).
The measure word for salt is 粒 (lì), as in 一粒盐 (yī lì yán - one grain of salt).
In some contexts, 盐 can metaphorically refer to something that adds flavor or excitement to life.
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