The character 认 — “recognize”: how to write it and what it means

认
rèn

recognize

4 strokes · HSK 1 · word page

The Chinese character 认 is read rèn and means “recognize”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.

Stroke order: how to write 认

认 has 4 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 认, with strokes to trace and empty squares.

What 认 is made of

讠 “speech” and 人 “person”.

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

Words with 认

Frequently asked questions

How do you write the character 认?

认 has 4 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 认 mean?

认 means “recognize”. It appears in 认识 (“know”), 认得 (“recognize”), 认真 (“serious”), 认为 (“think”).

How do you pronounce 认?

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

How many strokes does 认 have?

4 strokes.

← 家 home识 know →

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 认 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.

Start for free