How many strokes does the Chinese character "川" (chuān) have?
"川" has 3 strokes in Simplified Chinese. Its primary dictionary radical is 川, and you can animate or practice writing every stroke in order using the interactive grid on this page.
Ready · 3 strokes
Speed:
Nature & Elements
Name: Highly Recommended
Tattoo: Safe & Classic
川 River in Chinese (chuān)
Dictionary Summary
川 (chuān) means short name for Sichuan 四川[Si4 chuan1]; (bound form) river; creek. Simplified form has 3 strokes under radical 川.
Pinyin & Tonechuān (Tone 1)
Simplified / Trad.川 / 川
Radical川
Total Strokes3 strokes
StructureLeft–Mid–Right (丿 + 丨 + 丨)
Unicode / LevelU+5DDD · HSK 4
Native Naming & Tattoo Safety Review
🪪 Using “川” in a Chinese Name · Highly Recommended (Masculine-leaning)
Clean, crisp, and stylish in contemporary naming (e.g., 逸川, 沐川, 景川, 临川). Less literal than 水 and carries open-countryside poise.
✒️ Using “川” for a Tattoo · Safe & Classic
Elegant 3-stroke minimalist stream pictograph, often seen in classical poetic compounds like 山川 (mountains and rivers).
Character Etymology & CC-CEDICT Meanings
Origin & Visual Logic: Three parallel flowing lines depicting a broad river running swiftly through valleys.
| Traditional / Simplified | Pinyin | CC-CEDICT Definitions |
|---|---|---|
| 川 / 川 | Chuān | short name for Sichuan 四川[Si4 chuan1] |
| 川 / 川 | chuān | (bound form) river; creek; plain |
Lexical entries derived from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Make Me a Hanzi (APL / LGPL-3.0).
Common Words & Idioms Using “川”
| Chinese Word | Pinyin | English Meaning | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 山川 | shānchuān | mountains and rivers | |
| 冰川 | bīngchuān | glacier | |
| 海纳百川 | hǎinà-bǎichuān | all rivers run to the sea (open-mindedness) |
English Names Using “川” in Our Curated Recommendations
See how native speakers pair 川 (chuān) into modern Chinese names:
Frequently Asked Questions
Is "川" good to use in a real Chinese name?
Rating: Highly Recommended (Masculine-leaning). Clean, crisp, and stylish in contemporary naming (e.g., 逸川, 沐川, 景川, 临川). Less literal than 水 and carries open-countryside poise.
Is "川" safe as a Chinese character tattoo?
Tattoo rating: Safe & Classic. Elegant 3-stroke minimalist stream pictograph, often seen in classical poetic compounds like 山川 (mountains and rivers).