DICTIONARY
The Chinese word dian - 电 - diàn
(electricity in Chinese)
Phonetic script (Hanyu Pinyin)
diàn
Listen to pronunciation
(Mandarin = standard Chinese without accent)
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English translations
electricity, lightning, current
Chinese character and stroke order animation"How do I write 电 ( diàn ) correctly?"
The strokes that all Chinese characters are composed of are to be written in a certain order which has originally been defined by Chinese calligraphy. Writing all characters according to the same rules assures that their intended shape and style are generally preserved even if written by different writers.
This dictionary shows you the correct stroke order as an animation for all characters so you can learn and understand how to write the character correctly. :
The strokes that all Chinese characters are composed of are to be written in a certain order which has originally been defined by Chinese calligraphy. Writing all characters according to the same rules assures that their intended shape and style are generally preserved even if written by different writers.
This dictionary shows you the correct stroke order as an animation for all characters so you can learn and understand how to write the character correctly. :
电 ( dian / diàn ) in traditional characters
電
Chinese Pinyin example sentence with 电 ( dian / diàn ) ⓘWriting in Pinyin
Before using this Pinyin example sentence, consider that Chinese characters should always be your first choice in written communication.
If you cannot use Chinese characters, it is preferable to use the Pinyin with tones. Only use the Pinyin without tones if there's no other option (e.g. writing a text message from/to a mobile phone that doesn't support special characters such as ā, í, ǒ, ù).
Before using this Pinyin example sentence, consider that Chinese characters should always be your first choice in written communication.
If you cannot use Chinese characters, it is preferable to use the Pinyin with tones. Only use the Pinyin without tones if there's no other option (e.g. writing a text message from/to a mobile phone that doesn't support special characters such as ā, í, ǒ, ù).
Yiyuan ting dian le.
Yīyuàn tíng diàn le.– English translation: The hospital has lost power.
Topic
Character complexity
电 is composed of 5 strokes and therefore is of very low complexity compared to the other simplified Chinese characters (average: 13.1 strokes).
Tags and additional information
(Meaning of individual characters, character components etc.)
computer | telephone
电 ( dian / diàn ) belongs to the 500 most common Chinese characters (rank 161)
电 ( dian / diàn ) belongs to the 500 most common Chinese characters (rank 161)
Chinese example words containing the character 电 ( dian / diàn )
笔记本电脑 ( bǐjìběn diànnǎo = notebook ), 充电器 ( chōngdiànqì = charger ), 打电话 ( dǎ diànhuà = to call somebody (on the phone) ), 电报 ( diànbào = telegram ), 电表 ( diànbiǎo = electric meter ), 电车 ( diànchē = trolley bus ), 电池 ( diànchí = battery ), 电吹风 ( diànchuīfēng = hair dryer ), 电磁炉 ( diàncílú = induction cooker ), 电灯 ( diàndēng = lamp ), 电动车 ( diàndòngchē = electric vehicle ), 电动工具 ( diàndònggōngjù = electric tool ), 电饭煲 ( diànfànbāo = rice cooker ), 电风扇 ( diànfēngshàn = fanner ), 电工 ( diàngōng = electrician ), 电话 ( diànhuà = telephone ), 电话簿 ( diànhuàbù = telephone directory ), 电话号码 ( diànhuàhàomǎ = telephone number ), 电话卡 ( diànhuàkǎ = phone card ), 电话亭 ( diànhuàtíng = telephone booth ), 电话线 ( diànhuàxiàn = telephone cord ) 电吉他 ( diànjítā = electric guitar )
Other characters that are pronounced diàn in Chinese
More words that mean lightning in Chinese
shǎndiàn ( 闪电 )
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Version 5.52 / Last updated: 2026-11-03