唁 (yàn) is a Chinese character meaning “to express condolences (to the bereaved)”. It is written from 口 (mouth) and 言 (speech; words; to say), side by side, and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “to offer condolences”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
口 + 言
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字: 唁，弔生也。从口，言聲
Memory aid
A mouth (口) offering words (言) of comfort to a grieving family — that is expressing condolences.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 吊唁diào yànto offer condolences; to pay respects to the deceased唁 = yàn
- 唁电yàn diàntelegram of condolence唁 = yàn
Go deeper
All readings
to offer condolences
to express condolences (to the bereaved)
对遭遇丧事的人表示慰问。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 吊唁diào yànto offer condolences; to pay respects to the deceased唁 = yàn
- 唁电yàn diàntelegram of condolence唁 = yàn
Sound component
言 family tone diff
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 唁 mean?
唁 (yàn) means to express condolences (to the bereaved).
How do you pronounce 唁?
It is pronounced yàn.
What parts is 唁 made of?
口 (mouth) and 言 (speech; words; to say), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 唁，弔生也。从口，言聲. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 唁 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 唁?
口. 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 唁?
Common ones are 吊唁 and 唁电. The reading of 唁 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.