烂 (làn) is a Chinese character meaning “rotten”. It is written from 火 (fire) and 兰 (orchid), side by side, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “rotten; cooked to mush”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
火 + 兰
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分，经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数据核验（火4画 + 兰5画 = 9画）
Memory aid
Fire (火) left burning under the orchid (兰): kept over the flame too long, everything goes soft and mushy.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 灿烂càn lànbrilliant; splendid; glorious烂 = làn
- 绚烂xuàn lànsplendid; brilliant (of colors)烂 = làn
Go deeper
All readings
rotten; overcooked
rotten; mushy; cooked until very soft; worn-out; (in 灿烂) bright and dazzling
腐坏的、煮得很软的；也指破旧。在「灿烂」中表示光彩耀眼。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 灿烂càn lànbrilliant; splendid; glorious烂 = làn
- 绚烂xuàn lànsplendid; brilliant (of colors)烂 = làn
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 烂 mean?
烂 (làn) means rotten; mushy; cooked until very soft; worn-out; (in 灿烂) bright and dazzling.
How do you pronounce 烂?
It is pronounced làn.
What parts is 烂 made of?
火 (fire) and 兰 (orchid), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分，经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数据核验（火4画 + 兰5画 = 9画）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 烂 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 烂?
火. 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 烂?
Common ones are 灿烂. The reading of 烂 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.