曰 (yuē) is a Chinese character meaning “(classical Chinese) to say”. It is written from 口 (mouth) and 一 (one), one enclosing the other, and takes 4 strokes.
Build the character for “to say”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
口 + 一
Enclosing structure
Structure from: hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 现代字形笔画核验（外框 口 + 内部一短横）
Memory aid
A mouth (口) with one short line (一) inside it — a word on its way out. 曰 = to say.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
4 strokes
In real words
- 子曰zǐ yuēthe Master said (the phrase that opens sayings of Confucius)曰 = yuē
- 美其名曰měi qí míng yuēto give it the fine-sounding name of; to call it, euphemistically曰 = yuē
Go deeper
All readings
to say
(classical Chinese) to say; to speak; to be called
文言用字：说；也表示「叫作」。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 子曰zǐ yuēthe Master said (the phrase that opens sayings of Confucius)曰 = yuē
- 美其名曰měi qí míng yuēto give it the fine-sounding name of; to call it, euphemistically曰 = yuē
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 曰 mean?
曰 (yuē) means (classical Chinese) to say; to speak; to be called.
How do you pronounce 曰?
It is pronounced yuē.
What parts is 曰 made of?
口 (mouth) and 一 (one), one enclosing the other. The recorded source is: hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 现代字形笔画核验（外框 口 + 内部一短横）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 曰 have?
4. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 曰?
曰. 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 曰?
Common ones are 子曰 and 美其名曰. The reading of 曰 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.