Meaning
to choose; to pick; to select; to elect
Chinese: 选择、挑选或选举。
Hear the Four Tones
The same syllable “xuan” becomes a different word in each tone. 选 is the 3rd tone. Tap any tone to hear a native voice and see its pitch shape.
Stroke Order
Tap Animate to watch the strokes in order, or Practice to trace it yourself.
Common Words
- 选择xuǎn zéto select; to pick; choice; option
- 选手xuǎn shǒuathlete; contestant
- 挑选tiāo xuǎnto choose; to select
- 选举xuǎn jǔto elect; election
- 当选dāng xuǎnto be elected; to be selected
Example Sentence
请从这几本书里选一本。Qǐng cóng zhè jǐ běn shū lǐ xuǎn yì běn.Please choose one from these books.
请Qǐngto ask从cóngfrom这zhèthis几jǐsmall table本běn(bound form) root书shūbook里lǐinside选xuǎnto choose一yìone本běn(bound form) root。
Go deeper
Where this character comes from
The walk radical 辶 plus 先 (sound): to go and pick out — ‘to choose, select, pick; to elect, vote; a selection, anthology’ (选择, 选举, 选手). Simplified from 選.
A way to remember it
‘To choose / elect’: 选择 (choose), 选举 (election).