宣 (xuān) is a Chinese character meaning “to declare”. It is written from 宀 (roof) and 亘 (to extend across; to span), one above the other, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “to announce”
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Structure
宀 + 亘
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: 说文解字：宣，天子宣室也。从宀，亘声
Memory aid
Under a roof (宀), a big notice stretches across (亘) the wall from end to end — everyone inside can read the announcement.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 宣传xuān chuánto publicize; to spread the word about宣 = xuān
- 宣布xuān bùto announce; to declare宣 = xuān
Go deeper
All readings
to announce
to declare; to announce; to proclaim; to spread publicly
公开说出，使大家知道；传播。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 宣传xuān chuánto publicize; to spread the word about宣 = xuān
- 宣布xuān bùto announce; to declare宣 = xuān
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 宣 mean?
宣 (xuān) means to declare; to announce; to proclaim; to spread publicly.
How do you pronounce 宣?
It is pronounced xuān.
What parts is 宣 made of?
宀 (roof) and 亘 (to extend across; to span), one above the other. The recorded source is: 说文解字：宣，天子宣室也。从宀，亘声. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 宣 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 宣?
宀. 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 宣?
Common ones are 宣传 and 宣布. The reading of 宣 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.