盐 (yán) — HSK 4 Recognition Character: Meaning, Radical & Stroke Order

yán salt 10 strokes · Radical 皿 (dish) · HSK 4 recognition character (认读字)

👁 Recognition only: the official HSK 4 syllabus asks you to recognize 盐 when reading — handwriting it is not required (that applies to the 150 writing characters). The stroke animation below is optional but helps memory.

Pronunciation & meaning

Pronounced yán.

salt

Stroke Order & Practice

Click Animate to see the correct stroke order, then Practice to trace it yourself.

盐 — 10 strokes, numbered in writing order. 笔顺图（数字为下笔顺序）。

Decomposition

盐 breaks down into 2 components arranged as Top + Bottom. Recognizing the components makes the character easier to remember and write.

盐 =

圤 top

皿 bottom dish

Radical

The radical of 盐 is 皿 — meaning dish. Radicals are the indexing components used in Chinese dictionaries; they often hint at a character's broad meaning category.

Other HSK 4 characters that share this radical: 盒.

HSK 4 Words Containing 盐

盐 yán salt

做菜别放太多盐。

Zuòcài bié fàng tài duō yán.

Don't put too much salt when cooking.

Tasks Featuring 盐 / 相关任务

Words containing 盐 appear in these official HSK 4 task scenarios — study the character in context:

📚 介绍饮食情况

Food & Dining · 盐

FAQ

What does 盐 mean in Chinese?

盐 (yán) means salt. It is one of the 441 characters HSK 4 requires you to recognize when reading (认读字).

How many strokes does 盐 have?

盐 is written in 10 strokes. Use the practice tool above to see the correct stroke order and trace it yourself.

What is the radical of 盐?

The radical of 盐 is 皿 (dish). Other HSK 4 characters with the same radical include 盒.

What is the pinyin for 盐?

盐 is pronounced yán.

What HSK 4 words use 盐?

In our HSK 4 vocabulary, 盐 appears in 1 word, including 盐 (yán). See the full list above.