The character 歉 — “regret”: how to write it and what it means
regret, apology
The Chinese character 歉 is read qiàn and means “regret, apology”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 歉
歉 has 14 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 歉, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 歉 is made of
On the right, 欠 qiàn “owe” — it sounds the same.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 歉
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 歉?
歉 has 14 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 歉 mean?
歉 means “regret, apology”. It appears in 抱歉 (“be sorry”), 道歉 (“apologize”).
How do you pronounce 歉?
歉 is read qiàn. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 歉 have?
14 strokes.
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 歉 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