雅 Elegance in Chinese (yǎ)

Dictionary Summary

雅 (yǎ) means elegant. Simplified form has 12 strokes under radical 隹.

Pinyin & Toneyǎ (Tone 3)

Simplified / Trad.雅 / 雅

Radical隹

Total Strokes12 strokes

StructureLeft–Right (牙 + 隹)

Unicode / LevelU+96C5 · HSK 4

Native Naming & Tattoo Safety Review

🪪 Using “雅” in a Chinese Name · Highly Recommended (Feminine-leaning)

Poetic, literary, and enduring (e.g., 雅致, 思雅, 雅楠). Evokes classical music, poised manners, and refined literary taste.

✒️ Using “雅” for a Tattoo · Safe & Classic

Refined and understated; works elegantly alone or paired as 典雅 (classical grace).

Character Etymology & CC-CEDICT Meanings

Origin & Visual Logic: Originally denoted the elegant courtly language and odes of the Zhou dynasty, paired with a bird phonetic component (隹).

Traditional / Simplified	Pinyin	CC-CEDICT Definitions
雅 / 雅	yǎ	elegant

Lexical entries derived from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Make Me a Hanzi (APL / LGPL-3.0).

Common Words & Idioms Using “雅”

Chinese Word	Pinyin	English Meaning
优雅	yōuyǎ	graceful and elegant
雅致	yǎzhì	refined and tasteful
典雅	diǎnyǎ	classic elegance

English Names Using “雅” in Our Curated Recommendations

See how native speakers pair 雅 (yǎ) into modern Chinese names:

欧雅琪Olivia (Ōu Yǎ qí)安沐雅Emma (Ān Mù yǎ)苏恒雅Amelia (Sū Héng yǎ)苏慧雅Sophia (Sū Huì yǎ)米雅Mia (Mǐ Yǎ)明清雅Claire (Míng Qīng yǎ)陈雅恩Grace (Chén Yǎ ēn)林真雅Alice (Lín Zhēn yǎ)马雅清Maya (Mǎ Yǎ qīng)苏晨雅Ella (Sū Chén yǎ)柯清雅Clara (Kē Qīng yǎ)欧瑞雅Audrey (Ōu Ruì yǎ)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does the Chinese character "雅" (yǎ) have?

"雅" has 12 strokes in Simplified Chinese. Its primary dictionary radical is 隹, and you can animate or practice writing every stroke in order using the interactive grid on this page.

Is "雅" good to use in a real Chinese name?

Rating: Highly Recommended (Feminine-leaning). Poetic, literary, and enduring (e.g., 雅致, 思雅, 雅楠). Evokes classical music, poised manners, and refined literary taste.