The character 演 — “perform”: how to write it and what it means
perform, act
The Chinese character 演 is read yǎn and means “perform, act”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 演
演 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 演, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 演 is made of
On the left, 氵 “water”.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 演
- 表演perform; performanceHSK 3
- 演员actorHSK 4
- 演出performance; performHSK 4
- 演唱sing (perform a song)HSK 4
- 演讲give a speechHSK 5
- 导演director; direct (a film)HSK 5
- 扮演play (a role), actHSK 6
- 主演play the lead roleHSK 6
- 演奏perform (on an instrument)HSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 演?
演 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 演 mean?
演 means “perform, act”. It appears in 表演 (“perform”), 演员 (“actor”), 演出 (“performance”), 演唱 (“sing”).
How do you pronounce 演?
演 is read yǎn. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 演 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 演 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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