The character 延 — “extend”: how to write it and what it means

延
yán

extend, prolong

6 strokes · HSK 5

The Chinese character 延 is read yán and means “extend, prolong”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.

Stroke order: how to write 延

延 has 6 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.

To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 延, with strokes to trace and empty squares.

What 延 is made of

Bottom left, 廴 — “long stride”, as in 建.

The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.

Words with 延

Frequently asked questions

How do you write the character 延?

延 has 6 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.

What does 延 mean?

延 means “extend, prolong”. It appears in 延长 (“extend”), 延期 (“postpone”), 拖延 (“delay”), 延续 (“continue”).

How do you pronounce 延?

延 is read yán. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.

How many strokes does 延 have?

6 strokes.

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More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.

Write 延 yourself

In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.

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