冉 is almost always doubled as 冉冉 — describing something rising or moving slowly and smoothly, like a flag or the moon. It is also the surname Ran, borne by several disciples of Confucius.
Components
pictograph
冉rǎn
slowly drooping; gradual
Originally a picture of soft, drooping hair or whiskers hanging down gently. That image of slow, soft hanging gave rise to the doubled 冉冉, meaning to move slowly and smoothly. The modern five-stroke shape is treated as a single unit. Indexed under the down-box radical by tradition.
Filed under radical 冂 (jiōng, #13) by convention. 冂 is not a separate component in 冉, so no strokes are highlighted.
