How to Write 欠 (qiàn) — Meaning “To owe / To lack”

Q: What is a good memory technique for remembering 欠?

Imagine a person yawning (哈欠) because they lack sleep, and the shape of 欠 looks like an open mouth with air escaping. This connects the visual to the meaning of "to lack" or "to owe."

Q: What are the key writing tips for 欠?

The stroke order is: left-falling stroke (丿), horizontal hook (乛), left-falling stroke (丿), then right-falling stroke (捺). Make the upper part narrow and the lower part wider, like a person bending forward.

Q: How can I distinguish 欠 from 次 and 欢?

次 (cì, order/next) has two dots on top, while 欢 (huān, happy) adds 又 (again) on the left. 欠 has no extra components and its core meaning is shortage or debt.

Q: When and how is 欠 used in modern Chinese?

欠 is common in financial words like 欠钱 (owe money) and 欠条 (IOU). It also appears in 哈欠 (yawn), linking to lack of breath, and writing an 欠条 is a formal way to acknowledge debt in Chinese culture.

Q: What common words use 欠?

Common words containing 欠 include: 欠钱 (qiàn qián) — To owe money; 哈欠 (hā qiàn) — yawn; 欠条 (qiàn tiáo) — IOU / Promissory note.

qiàn HSK Level 5 4 strokes Radical: 欠

欠 (qiàn) means "To owe / To lack" in Chinese. It has 4 strokes with the radical 欠, and is HSK Level 5.

Rated 2.4/5 in difficulty (moderate).

Harder than 3% of HSK Level 5 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 欠钱 (qiàn qián), 哈欠 (hā qiàn), 欠条 (qiàn tiáo).

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

Practice Writing 欠 (qiàn)

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

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How to Write 欠

The character 欠 (qiàn) is written with 4 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 欠 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 qiàn (欠) Mean in Chinese?

欠 means To owe / To lack.

As an HSK Level 5 character, 欠 is an intermediate-level character.

Character Data

Character	欠
Pinyin	qiàn (qian)
Meaning	To owe / To lack
Strokes	4
Radical	欠
HSK Level	5
Difficulty	2.4/5

Origin of 欠

欠 is a pictograph of a person with their mouth wide open, as if yawning or exhaling. The ancient form depicted a person bending forward, suggesting the act of breathing out or lacking breath, which evolved into the meanings 'to owe' or 'to lack'.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture a person yawning so hard their head tilts back, revealing they owe their body some sleep because they are lacking energy.

Common Words with 欠

欠钱 qiàn qián

To owe money

哈欠 hā qiàn

yawn

欠条 qiàn tiáo

IOU / Promissory note

Example Sentences

他因为欠钱不还，信用记录受到了很大的影响。

tā yīn wèi qiàn qián bù hái ， xìn yòng jì lù shòu dào le hěn dà de yǐng xiǎng 。

Because he owed money and did not pay it back, his credit record was significantly affected.

他累得打了一个哈欠。

tā lèi dé dǎ le yí gè hā qiàn

He was so tired that he yawned.

他写了一张欠条给我。

tā xiě le yī zhāng qiàn tiáo gěi wǒ

He wrote me an IOU.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Radical
欠 (current)	qiàn	4	欠
次	cì	6	欠
欢	huān	6	欠

Practice Writing 欠 (qiàn)

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

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

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Frequently Asked Questions about 欠

What is the structure of 欠 and how does it relate to its meaning?

欠 is a simple character depicting a person leaning forward with an open mouth, suggesting a lack of breath or energy. Its radical 欠 itself means "to owe" or "to lack," and it appears in characters related to breathing or deficiency.

What is a good memory technique for remembering 欠?

What are the key writing tips for 欠?

How can I distinguish 欠 from 次 and 欢?

When and how is 欠 used in modern Chinese?

What common words use 欠?

How to Write 欠 (qiàn) — Meaning “To owe / To lack”

Practice Writing 欠 (qiàn)

How to Write 欠

What Does qiàn (欠) Mean in Chinese?

Character Data

Origin of 欠

Common Words with 欠

Example Sentences

Similar Characters Comparison

Practice Writing 欠 (qiàn)

Frequently Asked Questions about 欠

More HSK Level 5 Characters

Characters with Radical 欠

Other 4-Stroke Characters