援

援 U+63F4, 援 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-63F4 ← 揳 [U+63F3] CJK Unified Ideographs 揵 → [U+63F5]

Translingual

Han character

援 (Kangxi radical 64, 手+9, 12 strokes, cangjie input 手月一水 (QBME), four-corner 5204₇, composition ⿰扌爰)

1. aid, assist
2. lead
3. cite

Derived characters

• 𬕯

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 445, character 2
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 12407
• Dae Jaweon: page 795, character 18
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 3, page 1921, character 5
• Unihan data for U+63F4

Chinese

simp. and trad.		援
alternative forms		愋 爰 楥 𠋠

Glyph origin

	Old Chinese
暖	*noːnʔ
煖	*noːnʔ, *qʰʷan
喛	*qʰʷaːns, *qʰʷan
緩	*ɢʷaːnʔ
鰀	*ɢʷaːnʔ
嵈	*ɢʷaːnʔ
鍰	*ɢʷraːn
湲	*ɢʷan
媛	*ɢʷans, *ɢʷan
瑗	*ɢʷans
援	*ɢʷans, *ɢʷan
褑	*ɢʷans
諼	*qʰʷan, *qʰʷanʔ
愋	*qʰʷan
楥	*qʰʷans
爰	*ɢʷan
鶢	*ɢʷan
蝯	*ɢʷan
猨	*ɢʷan

Characters in the same phonetic series (爰) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *ɢʷans, *ɢʷan): semantic 扌 (“hand”) + phonetic 爰 (OC *ɢʷan).

Pronunciation

Rime
Character	援	援
Reading #	1/2	2/2
Initial (聲)	云 (35)	云 (35)
Final (韻)	元 (66)	仙 (80)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Closed	Closed
Division (等)	III	III
Fanqie	雨元切	王眷切
Baxter	hjwon	hjwenH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ɦʉɐn/	/ɦˠiuᴇnH/
Pan Wuyun	/ɦʷiɐn/	/ɦʷᵚiɛnH/
Shao Rongfen	/ɣiuɐn/	/ɣiuænH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ɦuan/	/ɦwianH/
Li Rong	/ɣiuɐn/	/ɣjuɛnH/
Wang Li	/ɣĭwɐn/	/ɣĭwɛnH/
Bernhard Karlgren	/i̯wɐn/	/i̯wɛnH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	yuán	yuàn
Expected Cantonese Reflex	jyun4	jyun6

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	援
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	yuán
Middle Chinese	‹ hjwon ›
Old Chinese	/*[ɢ]ʷa[n]/
English	pull up
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	援	援
Reading #	1/2	2/2
No.	16167	16175
Phonetic component	爰	爰
Rime group	元	元
Rime subdivision	1	1
Corresponding MC rime	瑗	袁
Old Chinese	/*ɢʷans/	/*ɢʷan/

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yuán (yuan²)

  (Zhuyin): ㄩㄢˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): wun⁴ / jyun⁴ / jyun⁶
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): yèn / yên / yàn / yân

  (Hailu, HRS): rhan / rhan^ˋ

• Eastern Min (BUC): uòng / uông
• Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): oeng² / yeng²
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): oân / oān / hoān / oan / hōaⁿ

  (Teochew, Peng'im): iêng⁶

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yuán
    • Zhuyin: ㄩㄢˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yuán
    • Wade–Giles: yüan²
    • Yale: ywán
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yuan
    • Palladius: юань (juanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɥɛn³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: wun⁴ / jyun⁴ / jyun⁶
    • Yale: wùhn / yùhn / yuhn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: wun⁴ / jyn⁴ / jyn⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: wun⁴ / yun⁴ / yun⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /wuːn²¹/, /jyːn²¹/, /jyːn²²/
• Hakka
  • (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: yèn / yên
    • Hakka Romanization System: ien^ˇ / ien^ˊ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: yan² / yan¹
    • Sinological IPA: /i̯en¹¹/, /i̯en²⁴/
  • (Southern Sixian, incl. Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: yàn / yân
    • Hakka Romanization System: (r)ian^ˇ / (r)ian^ˊ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: yan² / yan¹
    • Sinological IPA: /(j)i̯an¹¹/, /(j)i̯an²⁴/
  • (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
    • Hakka Romanization System: rhan / rhan^ˋ
    • Sinological IPA: /ʒan⁵⁵/, /ʒan⁵³/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: uòng / uông
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /uoŋ⁵³/, /uɔŋ²⁴²/

Note:

• uòng - “to pull”;
• uông - “to aid”.

• Puxian Min
  • (Putian)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: oeng²
    • Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: é̤ng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /œŋ¹³/
  • (Xianyou)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: yeng²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /yøŋ¹³/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: oân
    • Tâi-lô: uân
    • Phofsit Daibuun: oaan
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /uan²⁴/
  • (Hokkien: General Taiwanese, Xiamen, Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: oān
    • Tâi-lô: uān
    • Phofsit Daibuun: oan
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /uan²²/
    • IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung): /uan³³/
  • (Hokkien: variant in Taiwan, Xiamen)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hoān
    • Tâi-lô: huān
    • Phofsit Daibuun: hoan
    • IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung): /huan³³/
    • IPA (Xiamen): /huan²²/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: oan
    • Tâi-lô: uan
    • Phofsit Daibuun: oafn
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /uan³³/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hōaⁿ
    • Tâi-lô: huānn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: hvoa
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /huã²²/
Note:
• oân/oān/hoān - literary;
• hoāⁿ - vernacular;
• oan - vernacular (俗).
• • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: iêng⁶
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: iĕng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ieŋ³⁵/

---

• Middle Chinese: hjwon, hjwenH

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[ɢ]ʷa[n]/

  (Zhengzhang): /*ɢʷans/, /*ɢʷan/

Definitions

援

1. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) to pull; to tow; to haul

   攀援  ―  pānyuán  ―  to climb; to clamber; to scale

   • 同爾兄弟，以爾鉤援，與爾臨衝，以伐崇墉。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     同尔兄弟，以尔钩援，与尔临冲，以伐崇墉。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Tóng ěr xiōngdì, yǐ ěr gōuyuán, yǔ ěr línchōng, yǐ fá chóngyōng. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   • 右撫劍，左援帶，命驅之出。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     右抚剑，左援带，命驱之出。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Commentary of Zuo, c. 4^th century BCE

     Yòu fǔ jiàn, zuǒ yuán dài, mìng qū zhī chū. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

2. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) to hold; to grasp

   • 左並轡，右援枹而鼓。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     左并辔，右援枹而鼓。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Commentary of Zuo, c. 4^th century BCE

     Zuǒ bìngpèi, yòu yuán bāo ér gǔ. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   • 霾兩輪兮縶四馬，援玉枹兮擊鳴鼓。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     霾两轮兮絷四马，援玉枹兮击鸣鼓。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Verses of Chu, 4^th century BCE – 2^nd century CE

     Mái liǎng lún xī zhí sì mǎ, yuán yù bāo xī jī mínggǔ. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

3. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) to aid; to assist; to help

   救援  ―  jiùyuán  ―  to rescue

   援助  ―  yuánzhù  ―  to aid

   援軍／援军  ―  yuánjūn  ―  relief troops

   • 失援必毙。 [Classical Chinese, trad. and simp.]

     From: Commentary of Zuo, c. 4^th century BCE

     Shī yuán bì bì. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   • 天下溺，援之以道；嫂溺，援之以手。 [Classical Chinese, trad. and simp.]

     From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE

     Tiānxià nì, yuán zhī yǐ dào; sǎo nì, yuán zhī yǐ shǒu. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

4. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) to quote; to cite

   援引  ―  yuányǐn  ―  to cite

   援例  ―  yuánlì  ―  to cite a convention or precedent

   • 援前聖以制中兮，矯二主之驕奢。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
     援前圣以制中兮，矫二主之骄奢。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Book of the Later Han, circa 5^th century CE

     Yuán qián shèng yǐ zhì zhōng xī, jiǎo èr zhǔ zhī jiāoshē. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

5. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) to recommend (a person)

   • 苟利國家不求富貴，其舉賢援能有如此者。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     苟利国家不求富贵，其举贤援能有如此者。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Book of Rites, c. 4^th – 2^nd century BCE

     Gǒu lì guójiā bù qiú fùguì, qí jǔ xián yuán néng yǒu rúcǐ zhě. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   • 援賢博施，除怨而無妨害人。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     援贤博施，除怨而无妨害人。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Xunzi, c. 3^rd century BCE

     Yuán xián bó shī, chú yuàn ér wú fánghài rén. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Compounds

• 乞援
• 人道救援
• 伸出援手
• 備援 / 备援
• 回援 (huíyuán)
• 圍城打援 / 围城打援
• 增援 (zēngyuán)
• 外援 (wàiyuán)
• 多歧援喻
• 奧援 / 奥援 (àoyuán)
• 婦援會 / 妇援会
• 孤立無援 / 孤立无援 (gūlìwúyuán)
• 彈盡援絕 / 弹尽援绝 (dànjìnyuánjué)
• 後援 / 后援 (hòuyuán)
• 後援會 / 后援会 (hòuyuánhuì)
• 應援 / 应援 (yìngyuán)
• 手援天下
• 技術援助 / 技术援助
• 投袂援戈
• 授手援溺
• 接援
• 援交 (yuánjiāo)
• 援交妹
• 援交小姐
• 援例 (yuánlì)
• 援兵 (yuánbīng)
• 援助 (yuánzhù)
• 援助之手
• 援助交際 / 援助交际 (yuánzhù jiāojì)
• 援助機構 / 援助机构
• 援古證今 / 援古证今
• 援外 (yuánwài)
• 援引 (yuányǐn)
• 援手 (yuánshǒu)
• 援據 / 援据
• 援救 (yuánjiù)
• 援溺振渴
• 援照
• 援用 (yuányòng)
• 援筆 / 援笔 (yuánbǐ)
• 援筆成章 / 援笔成章
• 援筆立就 / 援笔立就
• 援筆立成 / 援笔立成
• 援筆而就 / 援笔而就
• 援藏
• 援軍 / 援军 (yuánjūn)
• 援鄂 (yuán'è)
• 援鱉失龜 / 援鳖失龟
• 撣援 / 掸援
• 攀援 (pānyuán)
• 支援 (zhīyuán)
• 救援 (jiùyuán)
• 救援隊 / 救援队 (jiùyuánduì)
• 有例可援
• 求援 (qiúyuán)
• 無援 / 无援 (wúyuán)
• 畔援
• 糧盡援絕 / 粮尽援绝
• 結援 / 结援
• 經援 / 经援 (jīngyuán)
• 網路援交 / 网路援交
• 聲援 / 声援 (shēngyuán)
• 請援 / 请援
• 軍事援助 / 军事援助
• 鉤援 / 钩援
• 阻援
• 首尾相援
• 馳援 / 驰援 (chíyuán)

References

• “援”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
• Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants (教育部異體字字典), A01630

Japanese

Shinjitai	援
Kyūjitai [1][2][3]	援󠄁 援+󠄁? (Adobe-Japan1)
	援󠄃 援+󠄃? (Hanyo-Denshi) (Moji_Joho)
The displayed kanji may be different from the image due to your environment. See here for details.

Kanji

See also:

Category:Japanese terms spelled with 援

援

(Jōyō kanji)

Readings

From Middle Chinese 援 (MC hjwon); compare Mandarin 援 (yuán):

• Go-on: おん (on)^{←をん (won, historical)}
• Kan-on: えん (en, Jōyō)^{←ゑん (wen, historical)}

From Middle Chinese 援 (MC hjwenH); compare Mandarin 援 (yuàn):

• Go-on: えん (en, Jōyō)^{←ゑん (wen, historical)}
• Kan-on: えん (en, Jōyō)^{←ゑん (wen, historical)}

From native Japanese roots:

• Kun: すくい (sukui, 援い)^{←すくひ (sukufi, 援ひ, historical)}、すくう (sukuu, 援う)^{←すくふ (sukufu, 援ふ, historical)}、たすけ (tasuke, 援)、たすける (tasukeru, 援ける)、ひく (hiku, 援く)
• Nanori: すけ (suke)

Etymology

Kanji in this term
援
えん Grade: S
on'yomi

From Middle Chinese 援 (MC hjwon|hjwenH).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ẽ̞ɴ]

Affix

援(えん) • (en) ^{←ゑん (wen)?}

1. pull; draw
2. aid; assist; help

References

1. “援”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎ (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2025
2. Haga, Gōtarō (1914) 漢和大辞書 [The Great Kanji-Japanese Dictionary] (in Japanese), Fourth edition, Tōkyō: Kōbunsha, →DOI, page 971 (paper), page 535 (digital)
3. Shōundō Henshūjo, editor (1927), 新漢和辞典 [The New Kanji-Japanese Dictionary] (in Japanese), Ōsaka: Shōundō, →DOI, page 595 (paper), page 310 (digital)

Korean

Hanja

援 • (won) (hangeul 원, revised won, McCune–Reischauer wŏn, Yale wen)

1. aid, assist
2. lead
3. cite

Vietnamese

Han character

援: Hán Nôm readings: viện, vén, vẹn, vẻn, vịn, vin, vờn

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.