稳 (wěn) - Meaning, Stroke Order & Audio

稳

wěn[wen3]Tone 3

stable

HSK 4

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穩

Guru Deep Dive

English · stable

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Topology:Left-right

Strokes:14

Writing Balance Rule: The left side (禾) is narrower and lighter, while the right side (急 part) is wider and carries more stroke weight, keeping the character balanced without leaning.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 穩 uses 禾 (grain) on the left and 急 (hurry/urgent) on the right. The simplified form keeps this exact left-right structure.

1. Meaning

steady, stable, firm

calm, composedreliable, secure

AdjectiveNeutral#state#personality#physics

Sample Usage

这把椅子坐得很稳。
zhè bǎ yǐzi zuò de hěn wěn.
This chair is very steady to sit on.
他做事一向很稳重。
tā zuòshì yíxiàng hěn wěnzhòng.
He has always been steady and prudent in his actions.

2. Sound

/[wən²¹⁴]/Tone: 214

稳

wěnwen3

ˇ(214)

=wěn

Initial Consonant

Type: Labio-Velar Glide (Zero Initial)

Sounds like: w sound as in water

Unaspirated

Airflow Tactile Test: Round lips tightly before gliding into vowel.

Tongue & Mouth Position: Lips rounded, back of tongue raised toward soft palate for the semi-vowel glide.

Final Rhyme

Vowel Group: -e vowel group

Sounds like: -en rhymes with un in sun

Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'uhn'.

Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.

Tone

T3 (214)

2 → 1 → 4 (214)

3rd Tone (Low-Dipping)

Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 3 dips low and rises, similar to saying 'Really?' in disbelief.

Sandhi: When followed by another 3rd tone syllable, wěn changes to a 2nd tone (35) sound, e.g., 稳妥 wěntuǒ becomes wén-tuǒ.

👂

Listening trap: Do not confuse with wèn (to ask) which uses the 4th falling tone.

👋

Physical Tone Gesture: Start at a mid-high pitch, dip down smoothly to the lowest pitch, and rise up slightly at the end, tracing a checkmark in the air.

3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 14 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left side (禾) is narrower and lighter, while the right side (急 part) is wider and carries more stroke weight, keeping the character balanced without leaning.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 穩 uses 禾 (grain) on the left and 急 (hurry/urgent) on the right. The simplified form keeps this exact left-right structure.

4. Components

Radical 禾 · Grain radical (grain, cereal plant)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 禾 (denotes grain, implying agricultural stability and harvest abundance)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 急 (original sound: wen / ji phonetic shift origin)

A harvest of grain (禾) that stops people from feeling urgent or frantic (急), bringing stability and peace of mind.

禾 grain / plant
急 hurry / anxious

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

3· Phonetic Root: 㥯 (yǐn)

5. History

Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Combined from 禾 (grain stalk firmly rooted in the earth) and 急 (originally indicating a state of tension), later coming to mean settled and stable.

Semantic Evolution: From the idea of settled crops and reliable harvest to general stability, firmness, and steady temperament.

Grain was the ultimate symbol of security in ancient agrarian China; a good harvest meant a stable society.

6. Sinosphere

🇯🇵

Kanji (Japanese)

On: オン / Kun: おだ.やか

🇰🇷

Hanja (Korean)

穩

Sound Shift Bridge: The Mandarin 'wěn' corresponds to Japanese 'on' and Korean 'wun'.

7. Memory

Vivid Mnemonic Story

To keep the harvested grain (禾) secure and prevent a state of panic or hurry (急), you must stack it in a very STEABLE and steady pile.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

稳

wěnstableBase character meaning steady.

隐

yǐnhiddenReplaces the left side with 阝 (hill), indicating something hidden behind a hill.

急

jíurgentThe right-side component on its own, meaning hurried or anxious.

Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)

问(wèn)

问 has a mouth (口) inside because you open your mouth to ask a question; 稳 has grain (禾) and hurry (急) for stability.

8. Mastery

Active Recall Challenge

这架飞机降落得很[___]。

Clue: wěn

Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the 3rd tone wěn with the 4th tone wèn (to ask), or mixing up the complex right-hand side component with unrelated characters.

Memory Prompts

Recognition: When you see 稳, what is its primary meaning and tone?

Production: How do you write the character for 'stable / steady' (wěn) and what are its two main components?

稳wěnstable

Speed:

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