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March 24, 2026
砚(硯)yàn(yan4)
The character 砚 (yàn) refers to an inkstone, a traditional tool used in Chinese calligraphy and painting for grinding ink sticks with water to create ink. It is commonly used in scholarly and artistic contexts, symbolizing the importance of education and the arts in Chinese culture.
Strokes9Radical石DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In traditional Chinese culture, the inkstone is an essential item for scholars, often regarded as a symbol of knowledge and refinement. The act of grinding ink on a good quality inkstone is seen as a meditative practice.
Memory Tip
Imagine a stone (石) being used to create beautiful ink (墨) for writing. The character 砚 is formed with the radical for stone (石) combined with the sound 'yàn', which can remind you of 'ink' as it is essential for writing.
Meanings of 砚
yàn(yan4)
1inkstone
2ink-stone
Exercise 1 of 2
By ear
Play it, then pick what 砚 means.
About 砚
砚Simplified
硯Traditional
9Strokes
石Radical
名语素míngcínoun root (n.root)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2
Podcast: 砚
Podcast: 砚
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AI Study Notes for 砚
Usage Notes
砚 is primarily used in formal or literary contexts, often associated with scholarly activities. A common mistake is confusing it with 墨 (mò), which means ink itself. Remember that 砚 is the tool, not the ink.
HSK Study Tips
While 砚 is not part of the HSK vocabulary lists, it connects to words related to calligraphy and art, such as 墨 (ink) and 筆 (brush). Students should focus on recognizing its cultural significance in Chinese literature and art.
Common Mistakes
Learners often mistakenly use 砚 when they mean 墨 (ink). For example, saying '我需要一个砚' (I need an inkstone) when they actually mean '我需要墨' (I need ink) can lead to confusion.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 砚
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Etymology of 砚
Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声å—)~80-90% of characters
Explanation
Phonosemantic compound. 石 represents the meaning and 见 represents the sound. Simplified form of 硯.
砚 = 石 + 见. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 砚
IDS Structure⿰石见
砚Full Character
=
石dan4
left
见jian4
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Parts
Which of these is part of 砚?
How to say inkstone in Chinese
“inkstone” in Chinese is砚yàn
The character 砚 (yàn) refers to an inkstone, a traditional tool used in Chinese calligraphy and painting for grinding ink sticks with water to create ink. It is commonly used in scholarly and artistic contexts, symbolizing the importance of education and the arts in Chinese culture.
When to use 砚
砚 is primarily used in formal or literary contexts, often associated with scholarly activities. A common mistake is confusing it with 墨 (mò), which means ink itself. Remember that 砚 is the tool, not the ink.
What learners get wrong
Learners often mistakenly use 砚 when they mean 墨 (ink). For example, saying '我需要一个砚' (I need an inkstone) when they actually mean '我需要墨' (I need ink) can lead to confusion.
Write 砚
砚
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Word Family of 砚
Words Containing This Character13
砚台ink stone硯臺
砚yànink-stone硯
端砚high-quality ink stonemade in Duanxi and Guangdong端硯
程砚秋Cheng Yanqiu (1904-1958), famous Beijing opera star, second only to 梅蘭芳|梅兰芳[MéiLánfāng]程硯秋
砚石ink stone硯石
砚池(concave) ink stone or ink slab硯池
砚山Yanshan county in Wenshan Zhuang and Miao autonomous prefecture 文山壯族苗族自治州|文山壮族苗族自治州[WénshānZhuàngzúMiáozúzìzhìzhōu], Yunnan硯山
砚山县Yanshan county in Wenshan Zhuang and Miao autonomous prefecture 文山壯族苗族自治州|文山壮族苗族自治州[WénshānZhuàngzúMiáozúzìzhìzhōu], Yunnan硯山縣
砚田ink stone硯田
瓦砚ink stone or ink slab made from an antique palace tile瓦硯
古砚antique ink slab古硯
陶砚ink stone made of pottery陶硯
磨穿铁砚to grind one's way through an ink stone磨穿鐵硯
Exercise 1 of 4
Words with 砚
What does 砚台 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 砚
An inkstone is used for grinding ink sticks with water to produce liquid ink for writing or painting.
No, 砚 is mainly used in literary or formal contexts related to calligraphy and art.
Focus on the radical; 砚 has the stone radical, indicating it is a physical tool, while other characters may refer to ink or writing tools.
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