软 (ruǎn) is a Chinese character meaning “soft”. It is written from 车 (vehicle; cart) and 欠 (to yawn; to owe; to lack), side by side, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “soft”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
车 + 欠
Left–right structure
Structure from: Unicode IDS 现代字形拆分，经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数核验（车 4 + 欠 4 = 8）
Memory aid
A cart (车) that is missing (欠) something firm — it sags. Both parts really are in this character: 车 on the left, 欠 on the right. Soft.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 软件ruǎn jiànsoftware软 = ruǎn
- 柔软róu ruǎnsoft; supple软 = ruǎn
Go deeper
All readings
soft
soft; flexible; pliable; gentle; weak
物体容易变形、不坚硬；也指态度或力量不强硬。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 软件ruǎn jiànsoftware软 = ruǎn
- 柔软róu ruǎnsoft; supple软 = ruǎn
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 软 mean?
软 (ruǎn) means soft; flexible; pliable; gentle; weak.
How do you pronounce 软?
It is pronounced ruǎn.
What parts is 软 made of?
车 (vehicle; cart) and 欠 (to yawn; to owe; to lack), side by side. The recorded source is: Unicode IDS 现代字形拆分，经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数核验（车 4 + 欠 4 = 8）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 软 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 软?
车. 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 软?
Common ones are 软件 and 柔软. The reading of 软 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.