How to Write 燕 (yān/yàn) — Meaning “Swallow (bird)”

Imagine a swallow with a "twenty-mouthed" head flying north (北) while leaving a fiery trail (灬) behind. This visual helps you recall the top, middle, and bottom parts in order.

Write the top part 廿 with two horizontal strokes and a vertical line through them, then add 口, then the two 北 parts on left and right, and finally four evenly spaced dots for 灬. A common mistake is making the four dots too large or uneven, which changes the character’s balance.

燕 has a unique top with 廿 and 口, while 熊 has 能 (ability) as its top part and 熏 has a top that looks like a pile of smoke or grass. Also, 燕 means a bird, 熊 means a bear, and 熏 means to smoke or fumigate.

燕 is most common in the word 燕子 (yàn zi) for the swallow bird, and in terms like 燕尾 (yàn wěi) meaning "swallowtail" (e.g., a type of fish or coat). It also appears in historical names like 燕国 (an ancient state) and can refer to the Beijing area, but it is not part of the basic HSK vocabulary.

Common words containing 燕 include: 燕子 (yàn zi) — Swallow (bird); 燕尾 (yàn wěi) — Swallowtail.; 燕国 (yàn guó) — The State of Yan..