练

練

liàn

纟 + 𫠣

HSK 3.0Level 3

Definitions

liàn (verb) to practice; to train; to drill

liàn (verb) to perfect (one's skill); to exercise

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 糹 represents the meaning and 柬 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "boil and scour raw silk" to make it softer and whiter. The meaning later shifted to "to make perfect" and "to practice". Simplified form of 練.

Semantic: 纟 Phonetic: 柬

About

练 is the contemporary simplified form of the traditional character 練, a phono-semantic compound. Its left side, the silk radical 糹, conveys the meaning, and its right side, 柬, represents the sound. Originally, it named the process of boiling and scouring raw silk to make it softer and whiter. Because this silk treatment demanded sustained, careful repetition to refine the material, the character's sense gradually expanded from textile work to the broader ideas of "making perfect" and "practicing", which is how it is predominantly used today.

Etymology Hide

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical Jin dynasty (266-420 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我每天练习汉字。

Wǒ měitiān liànxí Hànzì.

I practice Chinese characters every day.

妈妈练习瑜伽。

Māma liànxí yújiā.

Mom practices yoga.

他在健身房锻炼。

Tā zài jiànshēnfáng duànliàn.

He exercises at the gym.

我们练习说英语。

Wǒmen liànxí shuō Yīngyǔ.

We practice speaking English.

弟弟练习弹钢琴。

Dìdi liànxí tán gāngqín.

Younger brother practices playing the piano.

她经常练习书法。

Tā jīngcháng liànxí shūfǎ.

She often practices calligraphy.

运动员每天训练很辛苦。

Yùndòngyuán měitiān xùnliàn hěn xīnkǔ.

Athletes train hard every day.

为了比赛，他加强了练习强度。

Wèile bǐsài, tā jiāqiángle liànxí qiángdù.

For the competition, he increased the intensity of his practice.

Related Characters

Component: 纟

Component: 𫠣

练