陈 (chén) means surname Chen; Chen (c. 1045 – 479 BC), a Zhou dynasty state; Chen (557–589), one of the Southern Dynasties 南朝[Nan2 Chao2]. Simplified form has 7 strokes under radical 阝.
A storied ancient Chinese surname (especially prominent in southern China and overseas Chinese communities). Natural phonetic match for Charles, Charlotte, Chloe, or Claire.
Primarily read as the surname Chen or the adjective 'stale/aged' (陈旧)—not suitable as a standalone decorative tattoo unless honoring family lineage.
Origin & Visual Logic: Mound/city wall radical (阝) combined with east (东): an ancient state and capital lineage.
| Traditional / Simplified | Pinyin | CC-CEDICT Definitions |
|---|---|---|
| 陳 / 陈 | Chén | surname Chen; Chen (c. 1045 – 479 BC), a Zhou dynasty state; Chen (557–589), one of the Southern Dynasties 南朝[Nan2 Chao2] |
| 陳 / 陈 | chén | (bound form) to lay out; to exhibit; to display; (bound form) to narrate; to state; to explain; to tell; old; stale |
Lexical entries derived from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Make Me a Hanzi (APL / LGPL-3.0).
| Chinese Word | Pinyin | English Meaning | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 陈述 | chénshù | to state clearly | |
| 推陈出新 | tuīchén-chūxīn | bringing forth the new through the old | |
| 陈列 | chénliè | to display and exhibit |
See how native speakers pair 陈 (chén) into modern Chinese names:
"陈" has 7 strokes in Simplified Chinese (Traditional form: 陳). Its primary dictionary radical is 阝, and you can animate or practice writing every stroke in order using the interactive grid on this page.
Rating: Surname / Classic (Neutral / Surname). A storied ancient Chinese surname (especially prominent in southern China and overseas Chinese communities). Natural phonetic match for Charles, Charlotte, Chloe, or Claire.
Tattoo rating: Caution Alone. Primarily read as the surname Chen or the adjective 'stale/aged' (陈旧)—not suitable as a standalone decorative tattoo unless honoring family lineage.
