垫 (diàn) is a Chinese character meaning “a cushion or mat”. It is written from 执 (to hold; to grasp; to carry out) and 土 (earth; soil), one above the other, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “cushion; to pad”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
执 + 土
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: modern-glyph IDS ⿱执土（对照 hanzi-writer-data 9 笔核验：笔画 0–5 与「执」逐笔对应，笔画 6–8 为「土」，6+3=9）
Memory aid
A hand holding something (执) presses down, so you slip earth (土) underneath to raise it. That padding is a cushion.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 垫子diàn zicushion; mat; pad垫 = diàn
- 坐垫zuò diànseat cushion垫 = diàn
Go deeper
All readings
cushion; to pad
a cushion or mat; to pad something underneath; to raise or level by putting something under
铺在下面的东西；把东西放在下面使平整或加高。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 垫子diàn zicushion; mat; pad垫 = diàn
- 坐垫zuò diànseat cushion垫 = diàn
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 垫 mean?
垫 (diàn) means a cushion or mat; to pad something underneath; to raise or level by putting something under.
How do you pronounce 垫?
It is pronounced diàn.
What parts is 垫 made of?
执 (to hold; to grasp; to carry out) and 土 (earth; soil), one above the other. The recorded source is: modern-glyph IDS ⿱执土（对照 hanzi-writer-data 9 笔核验：笔画 0–5 与「执」逐笔对应，笔画 6–8 为「土」，6+3=9）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 垫 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 垫?
土. 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 垫?
Common ones are 垫子 and 坐垫. The reading of 垫 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.