Hanzi Writer

How to Write 殿 (diàn) — Meaning “Palace; hall; the rear of an army.”

diàn HSK Level 7 13 strokes Radical: 殳

殿 (diàn) means "Palace; hall; the rear of an army." in Chinese. It has 13 strokes with the radical 殳, and is HSK Level 7.

Rated 4.2/5 in difficulty (advanced).

Harder than 65% of HSK Level 7 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 宫殿 (gōng diàn), 殿军 (diàn jūn), 大殿 (dà diàn).

Due to its 13 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 殿 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Stroke order practice for 殿 - diàn

Practice Writing 殿 (diàn)

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

App Store ▶ Google Play

How to Write 殿

The character 殿 (diàn) is written with 13 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 殳 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 diàn (殿) Mean in Chinese?

殿 means Palace; hall; the rear of an army..

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

Character Data

Character殿
Pinyindiàn (dian)
MeaningPalace; hall; the rear of an army.
Strokes13
Radical殳
HSK Level7
Difficulty4.2/5

Origin of 殿

殿 combines 尸 (a variant of 'house' or 'building'), 共 (together/gather), and 殳 (hand holding a weapon). Originally it depicted a large hall where people assembled under guard, later extended to mean 'palace' or 'rear of an army' (the guarded back).

💡 Memory Tip: Picture a grand palace (尸) where everyone gathers (共), but a guard with a weapon (殳) stands at the rear to protect it.

Common Words with 殿

宫殿 gōng diàn
Palace
殿军 diàn jūn
Last place in a competition; rearguard.
大殿 dà diàn
Main hall

Example Sentences

这座宫殿很漂亮。

zhè zuò gōng diàn hěn piào liàng

This palace is very beautiful.

他获得了比赛殿军。

tā huò dé le bǐ sài diàn jūn

He finished fourth in the competition.

我们走进了大殿。

wǒ men zǒu jìn le dà diàn

We entered the main hall.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character Pinyin Strokes Radical
殿 (current) diàn 13 殳
殸 qìng 11 殳
殹 yì 11 殳
殽 xiáo 12 殳
Stroke order practice for 殿 - diàn

Practice Writing 殿 (diàn)

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

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

App Store ▶ Google Play

Frequently Asked Questions about 殿

The character 殿 is made of three parts: 尸 (like a building), 共 (together), and 殳 (a hand holding a weapon). The left side suggests a structure where people gather, and the right side adds a sense of authority or action. Together they form the meaning of a grand palace or main hall.

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 殳

殳shū殴ōu段duàn殷yān/yīn殸qìng殹yì殽xiáo毁huǐ毅yì

Other 13-Stroke Characters

䧹yīng亶dǎn催cuī傺chì傻shǎ傿yàn像xiàng剽piāo剿jiǎo勤qín