玷 (diàn) is a Chinese character meaning “a flaw or spot in a piece of jade”. It is written from 王 (king) and 占 (to divine; to occupy), side by side, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “flaw in jade”
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Structure
王 + 占
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字「玷，玉瑕也。从玉占聲」；现代字形拆分 ⿰王占，经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（王4画 + 占5画 = 9画，笔画 0–3 为王字旁，4–8 与「占」逐笔对应）
Memory aid
On the left, 王 is the jade side-form — this word is about a piece of jade. On the right, 占 only lends its sound. A flaw on jade: one small spot that spoils the whole stone.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 玷污diàn wūto stain; to tarnish; to defile玷 = diàn
Go deeper
All readings
flaw in jade
a flaw or spot in a piece of jade; to stain, to tarnish (a reputation)
玉上的斑点、瑕疵；引申为使清白或名声受到污损。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 玷污diàn wūto stain; to tarnish; to defile玷 = diàn
Sound component
占 family diverged
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 玷 mean?
玷 (diàn) means a flaw or spot in a piece of jade; to stain, to tarnish (a reputation).
How do you pronounce 玷?
It is pronounced diàn.
What parts is 玷 made of?
王 (king) and 占 (to divine; to occupy), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字「玷，玉瑕也。从玉占聲」；现代字形拆分 ⿰王占，经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（王4画 + 占5画 = 9画，笔画 0–3 为王字旁，4–8 与「占」逐笔对应）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 玷 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 玷?
王. 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 玷?
Common ones are 玷污. The reading of 玷 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.