存 (cún) is a Chinese character meaning “to exist”. It is written from 才 (talent; ability) and 子 (child; son), one enclosing the other, and takes 6 strokes.
Build the character for “to exist”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
才 + 子
Enclosing structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分，以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：6 画 = 才 3 画（笔画 1–3）+ 子 3 画（笔画 4–6）；部首取 UCD CJKRadicals 子部
Memory aid
A talent (才) leaning over a child (子): what you shelter and pass on is what goes on existing.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
6 strokes
In real words
- 存在cún zàito exist; existence存 = cún
- 保存bǎo cúnto preserve; to keep; to save存 = cún
- 贮存zhù cúnto stockpile; to keep in store存 = cún
Go deeper
All readings
to exist; to store
to exist; to remain; to store; to keep; to deposit
继续有，没有消失；也指把东西放在某处保留起来。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 存在cún zàito exist; existence存 = cún
- 保存bǎo cúnto preserve; to keep; to save存 = cún
- 贮存zhù cúnto stockpile; to keep in store存 = cún
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 存 mean?
存 (cún) means to exist; to remain; to store; to keep; to deposit.
How do you pronounce 存?
It is pronounced cún.
What parts is 存 made of?
才 (talent; ability) and 子 (child; son), one enclosing the other. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分，以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：6 画 = 才 3 画（笔画 1–3）+ 子 3 画（笔画 4–6）；部首取 UCD CJKRadicals 子部. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 存 have?
6. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 存?
子. 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 存?
Common ones are 存在 and 保存. The reading of 存 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.