钦 (qīn) is a Chinese character meaning “to respect”. It is written from 钅 (metal radical (left-side form of 金)) and 欠 (to yawn; to owe; to lack), side by side, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “to respect; to admire”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
钅 + 欠
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字：欽，欠皃。从欠金聲（现代字形对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：钅 5 画 + 欠 4 画 = 9 画）
Memory aid
欠 on the right is a person leaning forward with an open mouth — a bow, a breath taken in. 钅 on the left is here mostly for the sound, jīn pulling toward qīn. Picture bowing low before something as solid as metal: that is what it feels like to hold someone in high regard.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 钦佩qīn pèito admire; to esteem钦 = qīnHSK 6
Go deeper
All readings
to respect; to admire
to respect; to hold in high regard; to admire
敬重；佩服。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 钦佩qīn pèito admire; to esteem钦 = qīnHSK 6
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 钦 mean?
钦 (qīn) means to respect; to hold in high regard; to admire.
How do you pronounce 钦?
It is pronounced qīn.
What parts is 钦 made of?
钅 (metal radical (left-side form of 金)) and 欠 (to yawn; to owe; to lack), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字：欽，欠皃。从欠金聲（现代字形对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：钅 5 画 + 欠 4 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 钦 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 钦?
金. 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 钦?
Common ones are 钦佩. The reading of 钦 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.