燕
Character learning workspace

yàn · lovebird, swallow

Master the form, understand its parts, and learn how it behaves in real Chinese.

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Learn every stroke in 燕

Replay the complete order, pause on difficult movements, inspect one stroke at a time, then write it yourself with live correction.

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Stroke graphics: Make Me a Hanzi / Arphic Public License
Step-by-step explorer

See how 燕 is constructed

Switch between the accumulated form and the isolated movement of each stroke.

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Writing notes

Shape and proportion

16Total strokes

Count each continuous pen movement once, including turns and hooks.

Top-middle-bottomCharacter structure

Keep the whole form centered inside the writing square.

灬Key radical

Use the highlighted radical in the animation as a visual anchor for remembering the form.

Print and practise

Download a 燕 writing sheet

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Includes the stroke sequence, progressive tracing, and blank writing squares. Generated locally in your browser.

Vocabulary in context

Common words with 燕

Open a word for its full breakdown, or listen before reading the meaning.

yànWords pronounced yàn
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Example sentences

Notice where 燕 sits in each complete thought.

Zhè zhī yànzi de chìbǎng shòu shāng le.这只燕子的翅膀受伤了。

This swallow's wing is injured.

Source: Tatoeba #8744936 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ mén néng kàn dào yuè lái yuè duō de yànzi.我們能看到越來越多的燕子。

We can see more and more swallows.

Source: Tatoeba #6101480 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Xǔ duō yànzi bù jiǔ jiù yào cóng nán fāng fēi lái le.许多燕子不久就要从南方飞来了。

Many swallows will come soon from the south.

Source: Tatoeba #333579 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Qiū tiān de shí hòu, yànzi huì wǎng nán fēi.秋天的时候,燕子会往南飞。

In the autumn, swallows will fly south.

Source: Tatoeba #3537622 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Yànzi fēi dé fēi cháng kuài.燕子飞得非常快。

A swallow flies very swiftly.

Source: Tatoeba #677652 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Yànzi zài qiān yí.燕子在迁移。

The swallows are migrating.

Source: Tatoeba #9958134 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Turn reference into recall

How to study 燕 in context

  1. Say yàn, then recall the core meaning: lovebird, swallow.
  2. Write all 16 strokes while keeping the top-middle-bottom balanced.
  3. Use it in 燕子 (yàn zi), meaning “swallow”.
  4. Read the complete sentence aloud once, then cover the translation and explain how 燕 works in that context.

Definitions and traditional forms are compiled from Make Me a Hanzi, HSK curriculum data, and CC-CEDICT. Sourced example sentences link to Tatoeba; editorial examples are labeled separately. Review data sources and licenses.