渊 (yuān) is a Chinese character meaning “deep pool”. It is written from 氵 (water (left-side form)) and 𫂱 (right part of 渊: 米 enclosed by a stroke on each side (like banks around water)), side by side, and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “abyss; deep pool”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
氵 + 𫂱
Left–right structure
- 氵 water (left-side form) · shuǐ meaning
- 𫂱 right part of 渊: 米 enclosed by a stroke on each side (like banks around water) unknown
Structure from: IDS (cjkvi-ids): ⿰氵𫂱；说文解字（淵）：从水；hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（氵3 + 𫂱8：左竖撇 + 米 + 右竖）
Memory aid
Picture the right part (𫂱) as two steep cliff walls with water churning between them, then add more water (氵) at the side. Water trapped that deep becomes an abyss. Both parts are really in this character — this is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 深渊shēn yuānabyss; chasm渊 = yuān
- 渊博yuān bóerudite; deep and broad (of knowledge)渊 = yuān
Go deeper
All readings
abyss; deep pool
deep pool; abyss; deep, profound
深水，深潭；也比喻深远、深厚。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 深渊shēn yuānabyss; chasm渊 = yuān
- 渊博yuān bóerudite; deep and broad (of knowledge)渊 = yuān
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 渊 mean?
渊 (yuān) means deep pool; abyss; deep, profound.
How do you pronounce 渊?
It is pronounced yuān.
What parts is 渊 made of?
氵 (water (left-side form)) and 𫂱 (right part of 渊: 米 enclosed by a stroke on each side (like banks around water)), side by side. The recorded source is: IDS (cjkvi-ids): ⿰氵𫂱；说文解字（淵）：从水；hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（氵3 + 𫂱8：左竖撇 + 米 + 右竖）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 渊 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 渊?
氵. 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 渊?
Common ones are 深渊 and 渊博. The reading of 渊 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.