Hanzi Writer

How to Write 楝 (liàn) — Meaning “chinaberry”

liàn 13 strokes Radical: 木

楝 (liàn) means "chinaberry" in Chinese. It has 13 strokes with the radical 木.

Rated 4.2/5 in difficulty (advanced).

Appears in 3+ common words including 楝树 (liàn shù), 苦楝 (kǔ liàn), 楝花 (liàn huā).

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

Stroke order practice for 楝 - liàn

Practice Writing 楝 (liàn)

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How to Write 楝

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

楝 means chinaberry.

Character Data

Character楝
Pinyinliàn (lian)
Meaningchinaberry
Strokes13
Radical木
Difficulty4.2/5

Origin of 楝

楝 is a phono-semantic compound. The radical 木 (tree) indicates it is a type of tree, while 柬 (jiǎn) provides the sound. Together they refer to the chinaberry tree.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture a chinaberry tree (木) whose branches form a bundle (柬) of shiny bitter red berries.

Common Words with 楝

楝树 liàn shù
chinaberry tree
苦楝 kǔ liàn
Chinaberry tree
楝花 liàn huā
chinaberry flower

Example Sentences

路边有一棵楝树。

lù biān yǒu yī kē liàn shù

There is a chinaberry tree by the roadside.

苦楝的叶子很绿。

kǔ liàn de yè zi hěn lǜ

The leaves of the chinaberry tree are very green.

楝花在春天开放。

liàn huā zài chūn tiān kāi fàng

Chinaberry flowers bloom in spring.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character Pinyin Strokes Radical
楝 (current) liàn 13 木
桫 suō 11 木
桲 po 11 木
桴 fú 11 木
Stroke order practice for 楝 - liàn

Practice Writing 楝 (liàn)

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

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

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Frequently Asked Questions about 楝

楝 is made of the radical 木 (tree) on the left and 柬 (jiǎn, meaning 'select') on the right. The 木 tells you it is a type of tree, and 柬 provides the pronunciation liàn, together forming the name of the chinaberry tree.

Characters with Radical 木

木mù未wèi末mò本běn札zhá术shù朱zhū朴pō/pǔ朵duǒ机jī

Other 13-Stroke Characters

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