掀 (xiān) is a Chinese character meaning “to lift up (a lid, curtain or cover)”. It is written from 扌 (hand (radical form)) and 欣 (glad; delighted), side by side, and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “to lift (a cover)”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
扌 + 欣
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字·手部（掀，舉出也。从手欣聲）；现代字形以 hanzi-writer-data 核验：11 画 = 扌 3 画 + 欣 8 画
Memory aid
A hand (扌) lifts the lid, and what is underneath makes you glad (欣) — to lift something up or open is 掀.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 掀起xiān qǐto lift up; to set off (a wave, a trend)掀 = xiān
- 掀开xiān kāito lift open; to lift off (a lid, curtain)掀 = xiān
Go deeper
All readings
to lift (a cover)
to lift up (a lid, curtain or cover); to lift open; to stir up (a wave or movement)
把盖着或遮着的东西揭起、翻开；也比喻兴起、引起（风浪、运动等）。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 掀起xiān qǐto lift up; to set off (a wave, a trend)掀 = xiān
- 掀开xiān kāito lift open; to lift off (a lid, curtain)掀 = xiān
Sound component
欣 family rime near
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 掀 mean?
掀 (xiān) means to lift up (a lid, curtain or cover); to lift open; to stir up (a wave or movement).
How do you pronounce 掀?
It is pronounced xiān.
What parts is 掀 made of?
扌 (hand (radical form)) and 欣 (glad; delighted), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字·手部（掀，舉出也。从手欣聲）；现代字形以 hanzi-writer-data 核验：11 画 = 扌 3 画 + 欣 8 画. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 掀 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 掀?
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 掀?
Common ones are 掀起 and 掀开. The reading of 掀 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.