焉 (yān) is a Chinese character meaning “(literary) here, in it”. It is written from 正 (upright; straight; correct) and 一 (one) and ㇉ (bent hook stroke) and 灬 (fire dots (bottom form of 火)), one above the other, and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “here; how (literary)”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
正 + 一 + ㇉ + 灬
Top–bottom structure
- 正 upright; straight; correct · zhèng unknown
- 一 one · yī unknown
- ㇉ bent hook stroke unknown
- 灬 fire dots (bottom form of 火) · huǒ unknown
Structure from: hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（现代字形描述性拆分 11 画：正5 + 一1 + ㇉1 + 灬4；非字源）
Memory aid
Someone stands upright (正) on a thin plank (一), held by a hooked frame (㇉) right above four fire dots (灬). Where is your mind? If it's not here — 心不在焉 — you'll get burned!
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 心不在焉xīn bú zài yānabsent-minded; not paying attention焉 = yān
Go deeper
All readings
here; how (literary)
(literary) here, in it; how, where; used mainly in set phrases such as 心不在焉
文言词。相当于「于此」「在这里」；也用来问「怎么、哪里」。现代多见于成语，如「心不在焉」。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 心不在焉xīn bú zài yānabsent-minded; not paying attention焉 = yān
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 焉 mean?
焉 (yān) means (literary) here, in it; how, where; used mainly in set phrases such as 心不在焉.
How do you pronounce 焉?
It is pronounced yān.
What parts is 焉 made of?
正 (upright; straight; correct) and 一 (one) and ㇉ (bent hook stroke) and 灬 (fire dots (bottom form of 火)), one above the other. The recorded source is: hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（现代字形描述性拆分 11 画：正5 + 一1 + ㇉1 + 灬4；非字源）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 焉 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 焉?
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 焉?
Common ones are 心不在焉. The reading of 焉 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.