认 (rèn) is a Chinese character meaning “to recognize”. It is written from 讠 (speech radical) and 人 (person), side by side, and takes 4 strokes.
Build the character for “to recognize; to know”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
讠 + 人
Left–right structure
Structure from: Unicode U+8BA4 现代字形与笔顺数据（4 画 = 讠 2 画 + 人 2 画）；讠 为义符，人 rén 与本字 rèn 同声母同韵母、仅声调不同，作声符
Memory aid
Speech (讠) turned toward a person (人): you speak up because you recognize who is standing there.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
4 strokes
In real words
- 认识rèn shito know (a person or place); to be acquainted with; understanding认 = rèn
- 认为rèn wéito think; to consider; to hold the view that认 = rèn
- 承认chéng rènto admit; to acknowledge认 = rèn
- 认真rèn zhēnserious; conscientious; earnest认 = rèn
Go deeper
All readings
to recognize; to know
to recognize; to know (someone or something by sight); to identify; to admit or acknowledge
分辨出、认得；也表示承认、认可。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 认识rèn shito know (a person or place); to be acquainted with; understanding认 = rèn
- 认为rèn wéito think; to consider; to hold the view that认 = rèn
- 承认chéng rènto admit; to acknowledge认 = rèn
- 认真rèn zhēnserious; conscientious; earnest认 = rèn
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 认 mean?
认 (rèn) means to recognize; to know (someone or something by sight); to identify; to admit or acknowledge.
How do you pronounce 认?
It is pronounced rèn.
What parts is 认 made of?
讠 (speech radical) and 人 (person), side by side. The recorded source is: Unicode U+8BA4 现代字形与笔顺数据（4 画 = 讠 2 画 + 人 2 画）；讠 为义符，人 rén 与本字 rèn 同声母同韵母、仅声调不同，作声符. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 认 have?
4. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 认?
讠. 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 认?
Common ones are 认识 and 认为. The reading of 认 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.