How to Write 倩 (qiàn) — Meaning “pretty / handsome / (archaic) to ask someone to do something”

Imagine a "pretty person" (人) who is "young and fresh" (青). The color green often symbolizes youth, so picture a graceful young person dressed in green to link the components to the meaning of beauty.

Write the left radical 人 as two strokes: first a left-falling stroke, then a right-falling stroke. The right part 青 has 8 strokes: start with the horizontal strokes, then the vertical, then the two horizontal lines in the lower section, and finally the vertical hook and two small horizontal strokes inside. A common mistake is to make the left 人 too wide or to forget the vertical hook in 青.

倩 (qiàn) has 人 on the left and 青 on the right, meaning pretty or handsome. 俎 (zǔ) has 人 on the left and 且 (qiě) on the right, meaning a chopping board or sacrificial vessel. 俞 (yú or shù) has 人 on the left and 余 (yú) or a similar component, meaning to allow or to respond. Visually, the right parts are completely different: 青 vs. 且 vs. 余, so check the lower portion.

倩 is most commonly used in literary or poetic contexts, such as in the word 倩影 (qiànyǐng), which means a beautiful silhouette or graceful image, often of a woman. It is not part of everyday conversation and is considered elegant or archaic. You might see it in classical poetry or romantic descriptions.

Common words containing 倩 include: 倩影 (qiàn yǐng) — beautiful image (of a woman) / graceful silhouette; 倩 (qiàn) — pretty / handsome / (archaic) to ask someone to do something.