询 (xún) is a Chinese character meaning “to ask about”. It is written from 讠 (speech radical) and 旬 (a period of ten days), side by side, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “to inquire”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
讠 + 旬
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字：詢，謀也。从言旬聲。（简化字形 询 = 讠 + 旬）
Memory aid
The speech radical 讠 on the left says this is done with words; 旬 on the right only lends its sound xún. Words put to someone else — you ask.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 询问xún wènto ask about; to inquire询 = xún
- 咨询zī xúnto consult; to seek advice询 = xún
Go deeper
All readings
to inquire
to ask about; to inquire; to consult
向别人打听、征求意见。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 询问xún wènto ask about; to inquire询 = xún
- 咨询zī xúnto consult; to seek advice询 = xún
Sound component
旬 family exact
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 询 mean?
询 (xún) means to ask about; to inquire; to consult.
How do you pronounce 询?
It is pronounced xún.
What parts is 询 made of?
讠 (speech radical) and 旬 (a period of ten days), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字：詢，謀也。从言旬聲。（简化字形 询 = 讠 + 旬）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 询 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 询?
讠. 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 询?
Common ones are 询问 and 咨询. The reading of 询 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.