韧 (rèn) is a Chinese character meaning “tough”. It is written from 韦 (wéi — tanned/softened leather; the simplified form of 韋, also used as a sound part) and 刃 (blade; knife edge), side by side, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “tough; pliable but strong”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
韦 + 刃
Left–right structure
- 韦 wéi — tanned/softened leather; the simplified form of 韋, also used as a sound part · wéi meaning
- 刃 blade; knife edge · rèn sound
Structure from: 说文解字·韋部（韌，柔而固也。从韋刃聲）；现代字形以 hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 核验：7 画 = 韦 4 画 + 刃 3 画
Memory aid
Tanned leather (韦) meeting a blade (刃) — it bends around the edge instead of snapping. That is what 韧 means: tough and pliable.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 坚韧jiān rèntough and tenacious; resilient韧 = rèn
- 韧性rèn xìngtoughness; resilience; (of a material) ductility韧 = rèn
Go deeper
All readings
tough; pliable but strong
tough; tenacious; pliable but not easily broken
柔软而结实，受力后能弯曲变形却不容易折断。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 坚韧jiān rèntough and tenacious; resilient韧 = rèn
- 韧性rèn xìngtoughness; resilience; (of a material) ductility韧 = rèn
Sound component
刃 family exact
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 韧 mean?
韧 (rèn) means tough; tenacious; pliable but not easily broken.
How do you pronounce 韧?
It is pronounced rèn.
What parts is 韧 made of?
韦 (wéi — tanned/softened leather; the simplified form of 韋, also used as a sound part) and 刃 (blade; knife edge), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字·韋部（韌，柔而固也。从韋刃聲）；现代字形以 hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 核验：7 画 = 韦 4 画 + 刃 3 画. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 韧 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 韧?
韦. 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 韧?
Common ones are 坚韧 and 韧性. The reading of 韧 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.