恩 (ēn) is a Chinese character meaning “kindness”. It is written from 因 (cause; reason) and 心 (heart; mind), one above the other, and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “kindness”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
因 + 心
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: 说文解字（恩，惠也。从心因聲）；现代字形拆分 IDS ⿱因心，笔画核验 因6 + 心4 = 10
Memory aid
因 (cause) sitting on 心 (heart): someone who is the cause of good in your life stays on your heart — that is kindness you feel grateful for.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 感恩gǎn ēnto be grateful; to feel thankful恩 = ēn
- 恩人ēn rénbenefactor; someone who has done you a great kindness恩 = ēn
Go deeper
All readings
kindness; favor
kindness; favor; grace; gratitude for kindness received
好处；恩惠；别人给予的好处与帮助。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 感恩gǎn ēnto be grateful; to feel thankful恩 = ēn
- 恩人ēn rénbenefactor; someone who has done you a great kindness恩 = ēn
Sound component
因 family rime near
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 恩 mean?
恩 (ēn) means kindness; favor; grace; gratitude for kindness received.
How do you pronounce 恩?
It is pronounced ēn.
What parts is 恩 made of?
因 (cause; reason) and 心 (heart; mind), one above the other. The recorded source is: 说文解字（恩，惠也。从心因聲）；现代字形拆分 IDS ⿱因心，笔画核验 因6 + 心4 = 10. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 恩 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 恩?
心. 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 恩?
Common ones are 感恩 and 恩人. The reading of 恩 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.