健 meaning and stroke order
Strong, robust, healthy; strength
How to write 健, stroke by stroke
10 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
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- 5
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- 10
Meaning of 健
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- healthy
- to invigorate
- to strengthen
- to be good at
- to be strong in
How 健 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Someone 亻 who can build 建 things; 建 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 亻 (man), shared by 277 characters on this site.
How to remember 健
健 is a person 亻 next to 建 (jiàn, to build). Picture someone strong and healthy enough to build things, and remember that 建 also gives the sound jiàn.
健 rarely stands alone in modern speech. It mostly appears in words like 健康 (jiànkāng, healthy) and 健身 (jiànshēn, to work out). Example: 祝你身体健康。(Zhù nǐ shēntǐ jiànkāng.) I wish you good health.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 健 with 建 (jiàn, to build) and 键 (jiàn, key), since all three sound the same. Use the side part as a clue: 亻 for a person's health, no side part for building, and 钅 (metal) for a key, as in 键盘 (jiànpán, keyboard).
Common words with 健
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 健康 | jiànkāng | health; healthy | HSK 2 |
| 健身 | jiànshēn | to exercise; to keep fit | HSK 4 |
| 健全 | jiànquán | robust; sound | HSK 5 |
| 保健 | bǎojiàn | health protection; health care | HSK 6 |
| 健美 | jiànměi | healthy and beautiful; to do fitness exercises | HSK 7-9 |
| 健壮 | jiànzhuàng | robust; healthy | HSK 7-9 |
| 稳健 | wěnjiàn | firm; stable and steady | HSK 7-9 |
| 健身房 | jiànshēnfáng | gym; fitness club | |
| 健忘 | jiànwàng | forgetful | |
| 健谈 | jiàntán | entertaining in conversation | |
| 健在 | jiànzài | (of an elderly person) alive and in good health; (of a thing) intact; holding up OK; still | |
| 健康状况 | jiànkāngzhuàngkuàng | health status | |
| 强健 | qiángjiàn | sturdy | |
| 健将 | jiànjiàng | (archaic) adept and valiant military general; skilled athlete; top player |
健 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 健
How many strokes are in 健?
健 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 健 mean?
健 (jiàn) means strong, robust, healthy; strength. A common word with it is 健康 (jiànkāng), meaning "health; healthy".
How do you pronounce 健?
健 is pronounced jiàn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 健?
The radical of 健 is 亻, which carries the idea of "man". Dictionaries list 健 under this radical.
Is 健 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 健 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
What is the difference between 健康 and 健壮?
健康 (jiànkāng) is the general word for healthy and can describe body, mind, or even a lifestyle. 健壮 (jiànzhuàng) means physically sturdy and strong, and it is used for bodies of people or animals.
How do you say going to the gym in Chinese?
You can say 去健身房 (qù jiànshēnfáng) or simply 去健身 (qù jiànshēn). For example, 我每天去健身。(Wǒ měitiān qù jiànshēn.) I work out every day.