Hanzi Now
然 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
然 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
然 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
然 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
然 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
然 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
然 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
然 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
然 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
然 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now

然 Stroke Order — How to Write 然

Stroke Order

然 is written in 12 strokes, following the standard Chinese stroke order. Start from the radical 灬, 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.

然 Radical and Character Components

Components:肰灬

然 is a phono-semantic compound: 灬 (fire) carries the meaning, while 肰 indicates the sound.

Radical: 灬 + 8 more strokes

然 Pronunciation and Pinyin

  • rán

Meanings of 然 in Chinese

1

rán然

Used to express agreement or disagreement, meaning 'yes,' 'right,' or 'so, thus.' Often appears in phrases like '不然 (otherwise)' or '不以为然 (to disapprove/disagree).'
你得认真学习，不然会挂科的。
You must study hard, otherwise you will fail the course.
To agree, to accept as correct, or to keep a promise.
他向来重然诺，凡事答应了就一定会做到。
He always values his commitments; if he agrees to something, he will certainly follow through.
thus, so; used in phrases like 'of course' (当然) or 'then' (然后).
我们先吃饭，然后去看电影。
We'll eat first, then go to the movies.
An archaic grammatical particle, typically at the end of a clause, signifying either affirmation/decision (akin to 'indeed', 'thus') or analogy/likeness (akin to 'as if', 'like').
他视此物，犹如珍宝然
He regarded this object as if it were a rare treasure.
Used as a suffix to indicate a state or manner, often translated as 'obviously', 'suddenly', or 'floatingly'.
她忽然笑了起来。
She suddenly started laughing.
To burn; to ignite.
薪火欲然
The firewood is about to ignite.

Common Words and Phrases with 然

1
rán然ér而
Yet; however; but; used to introduce a contrasting or turning point in a statement.
这项任务看起来很简单，然而实际操作起来却遇到了很多挑战。
This task seemed quite simple; however, we encountered many challenges when actually carrying it out.
2
rán然hòu后
then; after that
我先完成了今天的学习任务，然后去公园散步
I first finished today's study tasks, then went for a walk in the park.
3
rán然nuò诺
To promise or make a commitment; to give one's word.
他向朋友然诺，一定会帮忙完成那个项目。
He gave his word to his friend that he would definitely help complete that project.
4
rán然zé则
then; in that case
大家对此事的看法各有不同，然则，最终的决定还需要全体成员共同投票表决。
Everyone has different opinions on this matter; if so, the final decision still requires a collective vote from all members.

More words with 然

Idioms with 然

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Questions about 然

What does 然 mean in Chinese?

然 (rán) means “To agree” in Chinese.

How do you pronounce 然?

然 is pronounced rán in Mandarin Chinese.

How many strokes does 然 have?

然 has 12 strokes.

How do you write 然?

然 is written in 12 strokes, starting from the radical 灬. See the animated stroke order on this page.

What is the radical of 然?

The radical of 然 is 灬, and 然 is a phono-semantic compound.