The character 炼 — “smelt”: how to write it and what it means
smelt, temper
The Chinese character 炼 is read liàn and means “smelt, temper”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 炼
炼 has 9 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 炼, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 炼 is made of
On the left, 火 “fire”. The right part is the same as in 练 liàn.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 炼
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 炼?
炼 has 9 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 炼 mean?
炼 means “smelt, temper”. It appears in 锻炼 (“work out”).
How do you pronounce 炼?
炼 is read liàn. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 炼 have?
9 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 炼 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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