烟yān
Character evolution
烟
Hover to feel · click to explore
Simplified · Today
简体
Simplified Chinese
← → navigate · swipe on mobile
Shuowen
烟 (yān). The oracle bone pictogram depicts a flame with curling vapor rising, representing smoke. The later script added the phonetic element “垔” (later simplified to “因”), while the fire radical (火) remains to indicate the source. Thus the written form captures the visual image of smoke rising from a fire.
Pinyin
yān· HSK 1