娟

juān

女 + 肙

Definitions

juān (adjective) beautiful; graceful

Etymology phono-semantic

woman

Semantic: 女 Phonetic: 肙

About

娟 is a phono-semantic compound: the radical 女 on the left links it to women and femininity, while the right-side component 肙 provides the pronunciation and, according to some scholars, may also imply smallness or delicateness. Its primary meaning is 'graceful and beautiful,' typically used to describe a woman's elegant posture or lovely features. With its positive aesthetic and gentle connotations, 娟 frequently appears in literary descriptions of the moon or nature's soft beauty, and it remains a very popular choice for female given names.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

小娟是我的好朋友。

Xiǎo Juān shì wǒ de hǎo péngyou.

Xiao Juan is my good friend.

娟娟在图书馆看书。

Juānjuān zài túshūguǎn kànshū.

Juanjuan is reading in the library.

她的字写得很娟秀。

Tā de zì xiě de hěn juānxiù.

Her handwriting is very elegant.

王娟喜欢喝咖啡。

Wáng Juān xǐhuān hē kāfēi.

Wang Juan likes to drink coffee.

娟子每天早起锻炼。

Juānzi měitiān zǎoqǐ duànliàn.

Juanzi exercises early every day.

这幅画的风格很娟丽。

Zhè fú huà de fēnggé hěn juānlì.

The style of this painting is very graceful.

她娟秀的仪表令人印象深刻。

Tā juānxiù de yíbiǎo lìng rén yìnxiàng shēnkè.

Her elegant appearance is impressive.

在月光下，她的身影显得格外娟好。

Zài yuèguāng xià, tā de shēnyǐng xiǎndé géwài juānhǎo.

Under the moonlight, her figure appears especially graceful.

Related Characters

Component: 女

Component: 肙

娟