沿(yán)

HSK 68 strokes

along

Stroke order animation

Character information

Pinyin
yán
Meaning
along; to follow (a line, tradition etc); to carry on; to trim (a border with braid, tape etc); border; edge
Strokes
8
HSK level
HSK 6
Traditional
Same

Origin & structure

Where 沿 comes from and how its parts fit together.

Phonetic-semantic compound⿰氵⿱几口

In this compound, the meaning comes from (water).

One part carries the meaning, the other suggests the sound.

Made of

Parts are arranged left to right.

How to write 沿 step by step

8 strokes — each frame adds one stroke, shown in dark ink over the lighter ones.

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8

Words with 沿

Common words using 沿 — tap any character to open its stroke-order page.

yán沿hǎi
HSK 6

coastal

Open 沿海 page →
yán沿zhe
HSK 6

to go along

Open 沿着 page →
qiányán沿
HSK 7-9

(military) forward position; frontier; cutting-edge; forefront

Open 前沿 page →
yán沿àn
HSK 7-9

coastal area

Open 沿岸 page →
yán沿xiàn线
HSK 7-9

along the line (e.g. railway)

Open 沿线 page →
yán沿
HSK 7-9

along the sides of the road

Open 沿途 page →
màoyán沿

variant of 帽檐[mao4 yan2]

Open 帽沿 page →
chuángyán沿

the edge of a bed

Open 床沿 page →

Related characters

Ready to master 沿?

Trace 沿 stroke by stroke in the online practice tool, or turn it into a printable worksheet PDF with Tianzige practice grids, pinyin, and stroke-order breakdowns.