欣 (xīn) is a Chinese character meaning “glad”. It is written from 斤 (catty (unit of weight)) and 欠 (to yawn; to owe; to lack), side by side, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “glad; delighted”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
斤 + 欠
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字·欠部（欣，笑喜也。从欠斤聲）；现代字形以 hanzi-writer-data 核验：8 画 = 斤 4 画 + 欠 4 画
Memory aid
斤 on the left only lends the sound; 欠 on the right is a person with an open mouth, breathing out. Put them together and the breath coming out is a laugh — 欣, delighted.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 欣赏xīn shǎngto appreciate; to enjoy欣 = xīnHSK 4
- 欢欣huān xīnjoyous; elated欣 = xīn
Go deeper
All readings
glad; delighted
glad; delighted; to take pleasure in something
高兴、喜悦；多用于书面语和双音词中。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 欣赏xīn shǎngto appreciate; to enjoy欣 = xīnHSK 4
- 欢欣huān xīnjoyous; elated欣 = xīn
Sound component
斤 family onset shift
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 欣 mean?
欣 (xīn) means glad; delighted; to take pleasure in something.
How do you pronounce 欣?
It is pronounced xīn.
What parts is 欣 made of?
斤 (catty (unit of weight)) and 欠 (to yawn; to owe; to lack), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字·欠部（欣，笑喜也。从欠斤聲）；现代字形以 hanzi-writer-data 核验：8 画 = 斤 4 画 + 欠 4 画. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 欣 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 欣?
欠. 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 欣?
Common ones are 欣赏 and 欢欣. The reading of 欣 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.