援 (yuán) is a Chinese character meaning “to help”. It is written from 扌 (hand (radical form)) and 爰 (yuán — sound component (as in 援)), side by side, and takes 12 strokes.
Build the character for “to aid”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
扌 + 爰
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字: 援，引也。从手，爰声
Memory aid
A hand (扌) reaches out beside 爰, which gives the sound yuán: stretch out your hand to help — 援, to aid.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
12 strokes
In real words
- 援助yuán zhùaid; to help; assistance援 = yuán
- 支援zhī yuánto support; to back up; assistance援 = yuán
Go deeper
All readings
to aid
to help; to aid; to rescue; to pull by hand; to cite
帮助；救助。也指用手拉、引用（如「援引」）。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 援助yuán zhùaid; to help; assistance援 = yuán
- 支援zhī yuánto support; to back up; assistance援 = yuán
Sound component
爰 family exact
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 援 mean?
援 (yuán) means to help; to aid; to rescue; to pull by hand; to cite.
How do you pronounce 援?
It is pronounced yuán.
What parts is 援 made of?
扌 (hand (radical form)) and 爰 (yuán — sound component (as in 援)), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 援，引也。从手，爰声. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 援 have?
12. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 援?
扌. 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 援?
Common ones are 援助 and 支援. The reading of 援 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.