衔 (xián) is a Chinese character meaning “to hold in the mouth”. It is written from 彳 (a short step; the “double-person” left side) and 钅 (metal radical (left-side form of 金)) and 亍 (a small step; the right half of 行), and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “to hold in the mouth”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
彳 + 钅 + 亍
Left–middle–right structure
- 彳 a short step; the “double-person” left side · chì meaning
- 钅 metal radical (left-side form of 金) · jīn meaning
- 亍 a small step; the right half of 行 · chù meaning
Structure from: 说文解字：銜，馬勒口中。从金从行。现代简化字形 ⿲彳钅亍，按 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（彳3 + 钅5 + 亍3 = 11 笔）
Memory aid
Split the walking sign into 彳 and 亍, then slip metal (钅) between them — a metal bit held in the mouth as you walk. 衔 means to hold something in your mouth.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 衔接xián jiēto link up; to join; to connect衔 = xián
- 头衔tóu xiántitle; official title衔 = xián
Go deeper
All readings
to hold in the mouth; rank
to hold in the mouth; to link up, to connect; rank or title
用嘴含着或叼着；相连接；也指头衔、军衔等级别名号。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 衔接xián jiēto link up; to join; to connect衔 = xián
- 头衔tóu xiántitle; official title衔 = xián
Origin
说文解字 describes 銜 as the metal bit held in a horse’s mouth, built from 金 (metal) and 行 (to go): the piece of metal that keeps the horse going where you steer it. In the simplified form, 行 is split into 彳 and 亍 with 钅 in between.
Source: 说文解字：銜，馬勒口中。从金从行。銜，行馬者也。
Easy to confuse with
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 衔 mean?
衔 (xián) means to hold in the mouth; to link up, to connect; rank or title.
How do you pronounce 衔?
It is pronounced xián.
What parts is 衔 made of?
彳 (a short step; the “double-person” left side) and 钅 (metal radical (left-side form of 金)) and 亍 (a small step; the right half of 行). The recorded source is: 说文解字：銜，馬勒口中。从金从行。现代简化字形 ⿲彳钅亍，按 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（彳3 + 钅5 + 亍3 = 11 笔）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 衔 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 衔?
行. 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 衔?
Common ones are 衔接 and 头衔. The reading of 衔 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.