勋 (xūn) is a Chinese character meaning “merit”. It is written from 员 (member; person in a role) and 力 (strength; power), side by side, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “merit”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
员 + 力
Left–right structure
Structure from: studyhanzi 现代字形拆分（员 7 画 + 力 2 画 = 9 画，对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验）
Memory aid
A member of the team (员) who puts in the strength (力) — that is what earns you a medal. Both parts are really in this character.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 功勋gōng xūnmeritorious service; outstanding contribution勋 = xūn
- 勋章xūn zhāngmedal; decoration勋 = xūn
Go deeper
All readings
merit
merit; meritorious service; distinguished achievement
特殊的功劳；因功劳而得到的荣誉。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 功勋gōng xūnmeritorious service; outstanding contribution勋 = xūn
- 勋章xūn zhāngmedal; decoration勋 = xūn
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 勋 mean?
勋 (xūn) means merit; meritorious service; distinguished achievement.
How do you pronounce 勋?
It is pronounced xūn.
What parts is 勋 made of?
员 (member; person in a role) and 力 (strength; power), side by side. The recorded source is: studyhanzi 现代字形拆分（员 7 画 + 力 2 画 = 9 画，对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 勋 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 勋?
力. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 勋?
Common ones are 功勋 and 勋章. The reading of 勋 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.