Hanzi Writer

How to Write 辰 (chén) — Meaning “Chen (5th Earthly Branch); time; celestial bodies.”

chén HSK Level 7 7 strokes Radical: 辰

辰 (chén) means "Chen (5th Earthly Branch); time; celestial bodies." in Chinese. It has 7 strokes with the radical 辰, and is HSK Level 7.

Rated 2.8/5 in difficulty (moderate).

Harder than 4% of HSK Level 7 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 星辰 (xīng chén), 时辰 (shí chén), 诞辰 (dàn chén).

Hanzi Writer's stroke validation shows learners typically need 5-8 attempts to write 辰 with correct proportion and order.

Stroke order practice for 辰 - chén

Practice Writing 辰 (chén)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 辰 with real-time feedback.

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How to Write 辰

The character 辰 (chén) is written with 7 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 辰 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

What Does chén (辰) Mean in Chinese?

辰 means Chen (5th Earthly Branch); time; celestial bodies..

As an HSK Level 7 character, 辰 is an intermediate-level character.

Character Data

Character辰
Pinyinchén (chen)
MeaningChen (5th Earthly Branch); time; celestial bodies.
Strokes7
Radical辰
HSK Level7
Difficulty2.8/5

Origin of 辰

The character 辰 originally depicted a clam shell or a farming tool made from a shell, as seen in its ancient oracle bone form. Over time, it was borrowed to represent the fifth Earthly Branch and came to symbolize time, celestial bodies, and the rising sun. Its modern shape retains a curved, shell-like outline hinting at its pictographic origin.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture the character as a curved shell-shaped hourglass, with the top stroke as the rim and the bottom curve as the sand chamber, reminding you that 辰 means time.

Common Words with 辰

星辰 xīng chén
Stars and celestial bodies
时辰 shí chén
Shichen (a two-hour period in traditional Chinese timekeeping).
诞辰 dàn chén
birthday (formal)

Example Sentences

夜空中有许多星辰。

yè kōng zhōng yǒu xǔ duō xīng chén

There are many stars in the night sky.

古代用时辰来计时。

gǔ dài yòng shí chén lái jì shí

Ancient times used 'shichen' (two-hour periods) to tell time.

今天是这位伟人的诞辰。

jīn tiān shì zhè wèi wěi rén de dàn chén

Today is the anniversary of this great man's birth.

Stroke order practice for 辰 - chén

Practice Writing 辰 (chén)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 辰 with real-time feedback.

✨ Animated stroke order · Handwriting recognition · HSK-graded practice · Free to use

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Frequently Asked Questions about 辰

辰 is a pictographic character originally depicting a shellfish, but it was borrowed to represent the fifth Earthly Branch. It is a self-contained radical and cannot be broken into smaller components. Its connection to time and celestial bodies comes from its use in the traditional Chinese calendar and zodiac.

More HSK Level 7 Characters

伯bó呵hē哎āi哀āi唉āi/ài癌ái艾ài/yì滋zī抚fǔ逸yì昂áng凹āo/wā熬āo/áo奥ào卦guà扒bā/pá芭bā蕾lěi柄bǐng靶bǎ

Characters with Radical 辰

辱rǔ

Other 7-Stroke Characters

㐬liú㳄xián两liǎng严yán串chuàn丽lì乱luàn亨hēng亩mǔ伯bó