习 xí — to practice; to study; habit
每天复习是个好习惯。Měi tiān fù xí shì ge hǎo xí guàn.Reviewing every day is a good habit.
Common words: 学习 (xué xí)、习惯 (xí guàn)、练习 (liàn xí)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "to practice"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "to practice", including 习 (xí), 演 (yǎn), 练 (liàn). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "to practice" covers 3 different Chinese characters — 习 (xí), 演 (yǎn), 练 (liàn) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 3 characters do not share a sound — their readings span xí, yǎn, liàn — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 习 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 习 xíto practice; to study; habitUseful words: 学习, 习惯
- 演 yǎnto develop; to evolve; to practice; to perform; to play; to actUseful words: 表演, 演出
- 练 liànto practice; to train; to perfect (one's skill); to drillUseful words: 练习, 训练
Common words for these 3 "to practice" characters
Anchor each of these 3 characters in a word you can picture — start with 习 (xí) — so "to practice" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
学习xué xíto learn; to study习惯xí guànhabit; custom; usual practice; to be used to练习liàn xíto practice; exercise; drill; practice表演biǎo yǎnplay; show; performance; exhibition演出yǎn chūto act (in a play); to perform; to put on (a performance); performance演员yǎn yuánactor; actress; performer练习liàn xíto practice; exercise; drill; practice训练xùn liànto train; to drill; training教练jiào liànto coach; to train; instructor; sports coach
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 3 ways to say "to practice".
演 yǎn — to develop; to evolve; to practice; to perform; to play; to act
这位演员的表演十分精彩。Zhè wèi yǎn yuán de biǎo yǎn shí fēn jīng cǎi.This actor performance is wonderful.
Common words: 表演 (biǎo yǎn)、演出 (yǎn chū)、演员 (yǎn yuán)
练 liàn — to practice; to train; to perfect (one's skill); to drill
想把字写好，就要多练习。Xiǎng bǎ zì xiě hǎo, jiù yào duō liàn xí.If you want to write characters well, you need to practice more.
Common words: 练习 (liàn xí)、训练 (xùn liàn)、教练 (jiào liàn)
All 3 characters
Open 习、演、练 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.