| 燕 | yān | Yan, a vassal state of Zhou in modern Hebei and Liaoning; north Hebei; the four Yan kingdoms of the Sixteen Kingdoms, namely: Former Yan 前燕 (337-370), Later Yan 后燕 (384-409), Southern Yan 南燕 (398-410), Northern Yan 北燕 (409-436); surname Yan |
| 燕 | yàn | swallow (family Hirundinidae) |
| 燕子 | yàn zi | swallow |
| 燕麦 | yàn mài | oats |
| 燕山 | Yān shān | Yan mountain range across north Hebei |
| 燕京 | Yān jīng | Yanjing, an old name for Beijing; capital of Yan at different periods |
| 燕窝 | yàn wō | bird's nest soup |
| 后燕 | Hòu Yàn | Later Yan of the Sixteen Kingdoms (384-409) |
| 来鸿去燕 | lái hóng qù yàn | lit. the goose comes, the swallow goes (idiom); fig. always on the move |
| 前燕 | qián yān | Former Yan of the Sixteen Kingdoms 前燕 (337-370) |
| 劳燕分飞 | láo yàn fēn fēi | not wishing to part |
| 北燕 | běi yān | Northern Yan of the Sixteen Kingdoms (409-436) |
| 南燕 | nán yān | Southern Yan of the Sixteen Kingdoms (398-410) |
| 天燕座 | tiān yàn zuò | Apus (constellation) |
| 家燕 | jiā yàn | barn swallow |
| 新婚燕尔 | xīn hūn yàn ěr | newlyweds; love birds |
| 曾金燕 | Zēng Jīn yàn | Zeng Jinyan, wife of jailed dissident activist Hu Jia 胡佳 and active campaigner for his release |
| 燕京啤酒 | Yān jīng pí jiǔ | Yangjing beer (Beijing beer) |
| 燕京大学 | Yàn jīng Dà xué | Yanjing or Yenching University, Christian university in Beijing founded in 1919 |
| 燕京酒 | Yān jīng jiǔ | Yangjing brewery in Beijing |
| 燕京酒啤酒 | Yān jīng jiǔ pí jiǔ | Yangjing beer (Beijing beer) |
| 燕国 | Yān guó | Yan, a vassal state of Zhou in modern Hebei and Liaoning; north Hebei; the four Yan kingdoms of the Sixteen Kingdoms, namely: Former Yan 前燕 (337-370), Later Yan 后燕 (384-409), Southern Yan 南燕 (398-410), Northern Yan 北燕 (409-436) |
| 燕太子丹 | Yān Tài zǐ Dān | Prince Dan of Yan (-226 BC), commissioned the attempted assassination of King Ying Zheng of Qin 秦嬴政 (later the First Emperor 秦始皇) by Jing Ke 荆轲 in 227 BC |
| 燕尾服 | yàn wěi fú | swallow-tailed coat; tails |
| 燕尾蝶 | yān wěi dié | swallow tail butterfly (family Papilionidae) |
| 燕巢 | Yàn cháo | Yanchao township in Kaohsiung county 高雄县, southwest Taiwan |
| 燕巢乡 | Yàn cháo xiāng | Yanchao township in Kaohsiung county 高雄县, southwest Taiwan |
| 燕科 | yàn kē | Hirundinidae (the family of swallows and martins) |
| 燕赵 | Yān Zhào | Yan and Zhao, two of the Warring States in Hebei and Shanxi; beautiful women; women dancers and singers |
| 燕赵都市报 | Yān Zhào Dū shì Bào | Yanzhao Metropolis Daily |
| 燕雀 | yàn què | Eurasian finch or brambling (Fringilla montifringilla); fig. small fry |
| 燕雀安知鸿鹄之志 | yàn què ān zhī hóng hú zhī zhì | lit. can the sparrow and swallow know the will of the great swan? (idiom); fig. how can we small fry predict the ambitions of the great? |
| 燕雀乌鹊 | yàn què wū què | lit. sparrow and swallow, crow and magpie; fig. any Tom, Dick or Harry; a bunch of nobodies |
| 燕雀焉知鸿鹄之志 | yàn què yān zhī hóng gǔ zhī zhì | lit. can the sparrow and swallow know the will of the great swan? (idiom); fig. how can we small fry predict the ambitions of the great? |
| 燕雀相贺 | yàn què xiàng hè | lit. sparrow and swallow's congratulation (idiom); fig. to congratulate sb on completion of a building project; congratulations on your new house! |
| 燕雀处堂 | yàn què chù táng | lit. a caged bird in a pavilion (idiom); fig. to lose vigilance by comfortable living; unaware of the disasters ahead; a fool's paradise |
| 燕麦粥 | yàn mài zhōu | oatmeal; porridge |
| 白晓燕 | Bái Xiǎo yàn | Pai Hsiao-yen (daughter of Pai Ping-ping) |
| 胡燕妮 | Hú Yān nī | Jenny Hu |
| 处堂燕雀 | chù táng yàn què | lit. a caged bird in a pavilion (idiom); fig. to lose vigilance by comfortable living; unaware of the disasters ahead; a fool's paradise |
| 贻燕 | yí yàn | to leave peace for the future generations |
| 身轻如燕 | shēn qīng rú yàn | as lithe as a swallow (of athlete or beautiful girl) |
| 郢书燕说 | Yǐng shū Yān shuō | words distorted in reading (idiom); cf letter from Chu 楚 capital Ying 郢 contains inadvertent words "hold up the candle" that minister of Yan 燕 puzzles out to mean "brilliant prospects" |
| 银燕 | yín yàn | silver swallow; airplane (affectionate) |
| 雏燕 | chú yàn | swallow chick |
| 雨燕 | yǔ yàn | swift; Apodidae (the swift family) |
| 莺歌燕舞 | yīng gē yàn wǔ | the warbler sings and the swallow dances; prosperity abounds (idiom) |
