允 (yǔn) is a Chinese character meaning “to permit”. It is written from 厶 (private component) and 儿 (child; legs), one above the other, and takes 4 strokes.
Build the character for “to permit”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
厶 + 儿
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: studyhanzi 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：厶 2 画 + 儿 2 画 = 4 画）
Memory aid
A person on two legs (儿) with a small private nod (厶) above them. The nod is the answer: yes, you may — 允 is to permit.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
4 strokes
In real words
- 允许yǔn xǔto allow; to permit允 = yǔnspoken asyún xǔ
- 允诺yǔn nuòto promise; to consent允 = yǔn
Go deeper
All readings
to permit
to permit; to allow; to consent to; (formal) fair, just
答应；同意让别人做某事。也表示公平、得当。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 允许yǔn xǔto allow; to permit允 = yǔnspoken asyún xǔ
- 允诺yǔn nuòto promise; to consent允 = yǔn
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 允 mean?
允 (yǔn) means to permit; to allow; to consent to; (formal) fair, just.
How do you pronounce 允?
It is pronounced yǔn.
What parts is 允 made of?
厶 (private component) and 儿 (child; legs), one above the other. The recorded source is: studyhanzi 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：厶 2 画 + 儿 2 画 = 4 画）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 允 have?
4. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 允?
儿. 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 允?
Common ones are 允许 and 允诺. The reading of 允 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.