Each colour is one part of the character. Parts repeat across thousands of characters, so learning them makes new words easier. See all 214 in our radicals chart.
单dānbill
单 is a single shape of 8 strokes. Learn it whole, then watch its stroke order below.
元yuáncurrency unit
二two · èr
儿legs · ér
Memory aidA person 儿 with the head marked on top 二: the head, the first. Today it is also China’s main unit of money.
How to write 单元
单 8 strokes · 元 4 strokes
Watch the order, then press Try writing it and draw each stroke in the grid. Each stroke is checked as you go.
Stroke order chart for 单元 (dānyuán). Red marks the next stroke, so you can copy it onto paper one step at a time.
单元 (dānyuán) means “unit (forming an entity)” or “element”. It is an HSK 5 word.
Say it dānyuán: dān with a 1st tone, then yuán with a 2nd tone. Press Listen at the top of this page to hear it, or Slowly to hear each tone clearly.
In Traditional characters, used in Taiwan and Hong Kong, 单元 is written 單元. The pronunciation is the same.
Add a Chinese (Simplified) pinyin keyboard to your phone or computer, type danyuan with no tone marks or spaces, then choose 单元 from the suggestions. Typing danyuan into this dictionary’s search box finds it too.
单元 is an HSK 5 word in the HSK 2.0 word lists.
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Sources: meaning and pinyin checked by a native Mandarin teacher against the official HSK lists. Extra meanings from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0). Example sentences written by WillyChina. Character parts and stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi.
单dān1st tone, high and level
元yuán2nd tone, rising
