换 (huàn) is a Chinese character meaning “to exchange”. It is written from 扌 (hand (radical form)) and 奂 (splendid; sound component huàn (as in 换, 唤, 焕)), side by side, and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “to exchange”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
扌 + 奂
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字: 換，易也。从手奐聲（簡化字 奐→奂，手→扌）
Memory aid
A hand (扌) reaches toward 奂 — to swap one thing for another, your hand has to let go and take hold again. 奂 also hints at the sound: huàn.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 交换jiāo huànto exchange; to swap换 = huàn
- 兑换duì huànto exchange (currency)换 = huàn
Go deeper
All readings
to exchange; to change
to exchange; to swap; to change (clothes, trains, etc.); to replace
给别人东西同时从他那里取得别的东西；变换，更换。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 交换jiāo huànto exchange; to swap换 = huàn
- 兑换duì huànto exchange (currency)换 = huàn
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 换 mean?
换 (huàn) means to exchange; to swap; to change (clothes, trains, etc.); to replace.
How do you pronounce 换?
It is pronounced huàn.
What parts is 换 made of?
扌 (hand (radical form)) and 奂 (splendid; sound component huàn (as in 换, 唤, 焕)), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 換，易也。从手奐聲（簡化字 奐→奂，手→扌）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 换 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 换?
手. 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 换?
Common ones are 交换 and 兑换. The reading of 换 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.