Hanzi Now
蝉 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
蝉 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
蝉 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
蝉 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
蝉 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
蝉 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
蝉 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
蝉 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
蝉 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
蝉 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now

蝉 Stroke Order — How to Write 蝉

Stroke Order

蝉 is written in 14 strokes, following the standard Chinese stroke order. Start from the radical 虫, then complete the remaining strokes.

Stroke order matters in Chinese: it keeps the character balanced, and it is how dictionaries and handwriting input methods expect a character to be written.

蝉 Radical and Character Components

Components:虫单

蝉 is a phono-semantic compound: 虫 (insect) carries the meaning, while 单 indicates the sound.

Radical: 虫 + 8 more strokes

蝉 Pronunciation and Pinyin

  • chán

Meanings of 蝉 in Chinese

1

chán蝉

Cicada: an insect, many species of which exist. The male has a sound-producing organ on its abdomen, known for its very loud chirping. It is also used in phrases like "to win a championship repeatedly" (蝉联), "cicada exuviae" (蝉蜕), "cicada's chirping" (蝉鸣), "winter cicada" (寒蝉), and "golden cicada shedding its shell" (金蝉脱壳, meaning to escape by a clever ruse).
夏日的傍晚，常常能听到树上的蝉鸣
On summer evenings, you can often hear the cicadas chirping on the trees.
An ancient type of thin silk, as delicate as a cicada's wing, often referred to as 'chán shā' (cicada gauze).
她的舞裙是用轻薄的蝉纱制成的，飘逸极了。
Her dance dress was made of light and thin cicada gauze, exceptionally ethereal.

Common Words and Phrases with 蝉

1
chán蝉lián联
To continue to hold a post or title; to win a championship multiple times in a row.
这支篮球队已经蝉联了三届市级冠军。
This basketball team has retained the city championship for three consecutive terms.
2
chán蝉tuì蜕
The discarded exoskeleton or cast skin of a cicada, often used in traditional Chinese medicine. It can also metaphorically refer to shedding or breaking free from something.
经过多年的努力，他终于成功蝉蜕，成为了一位备受尊敬的学者。
After years of hard work, he finally underwent a profound transformation, becoming a highly respected scholar.

More words with 蝉

Idioms with 蝉

Recommended tools

Picture Worksheets

Chinese and English fill-in vocabulary worksheets

Open the tool →

Chinese Text Image Generator

Create PNGs with pinyin, highlight character parts or remove strokes

Open the tool →

Writing Worksheets

Printable tracing sheets with a QR learning companion

Open the tool →

Bingo Cards

Picture and word Bingo for your class

Open the tool →

Questions about 蝉

What does 蝉 mean in Chinese?

蝉 (chán) means “Cicada: an insect” in Chinese.

How do you pronounce 蝉?

蝉 is pronounced chán in Mandarin Chinese.

How many strokes does 蝉 have?

蝉 has 14 strokes.

How do you write 蝉?

蝉 is written in 14 strokes, starting from the radical 虫. See the animated stroke order on this page.

What is the radical of 蝉?

The radical of 蝉 is 虫, and 蝉 is a phono-semantic compound.