兼 meaning and stroke order
Double; twice; simultaneous
How to write 兼, 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.
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Meaning of 兼
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- double
- twice
- simultaneous
- holding two or more (official) posts at the same time
How 兼 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A hand holding two sheafs of grain 禾.
Radical: 丷 (kwukyel), shared by 8 characters on this site.
How to remember 兼
Picture a hand (彐) grabbing two stalks of grain (禾禾) at once. One hand holding two things is the idea of 兼 (jiān): doing or having both at the same time.
兼 usually appears in compound words about doing two roles or handling several things together, like 兼职 (jiānzhí), 兼顾 (jiāngù) and 兼容 (jiānróng). It also shows up in titles, as in A兼B, meaning one person holds both posts. Example: 他在一家咖啡店做兼职。(Tā zài yì jiā kāfēidiàn zuò jiānzhí.) He works part-time at a coffee shop.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 兼 with 谦 (qiān, modest) and 歉 (qiàn, apology), which contain 兼 as a sound part but have different tones and initials. Also note the middle part looks like two 禾 joined together, with one long horizontal stroke crossing through, not two separate 禾 side by side.
Common words with 兼
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
兼 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 兼
Learning 兼 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 兼
How many strokes are in 兼?
兼 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 兼 mean?
兼 (jiān) means double; twice; simultaneous. A common word with it is 兼职 (jiānzhí), meaning "to hold concurrent posts; concurrent job".
How do you pronounce 兼?
兼 is pronounced jiān, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 兼?
The radical of 兼 is 丷, which carries the idea of "kwukyel". Dictionaries list 兼 under this radical.
Is 兼 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 兼 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Can 兼 be used on its own in a sentence?
Yes, mostly in formal or written Chinese, often in the pattern A兼B. For example, 经理兼会计 (jīnglǐ jiān kuàijì) means a manager who is also the accountant.
What does 软件不兼容 mean?
软件不兼容 (ruǎnjiàn bù jiānróng) means the software is not compatible. 兼容 is the standard tech word for compatibility between systems, files, or devices.