剑 meaning and stroke order
Double-edged sword; classifier for blows of a sword
How to write 剑, stroke by stroke
9 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 剑
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- double-edged sword
- classifier for blows of a sword
- variant of 劍|剑[jian4]
How 剑 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Knife.
刂 gives the meaning and 佥 hints at the sound.
Radical: 刂 (knife), shared by 71 characters on this site.
How to remember 剑
The right side 刂 is the knife radical, telling you this is a blade. The left side 佥 (qiān) gives the sound, so think of a sword (jiàn) with a knife standing beside it.
剑 usually means a straight, double-edged sword, while 刀 (dāo) is a single-edged knife or saber. It appears in words like 宝剑 (bǎojiàn) and the sport 击剑 (jījiàn). Example: 他从小学习击剑。(Tā cóngxiǎo xuéxí jījiàn.) He has studied fencing since he was little.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 剑 (jiàn) with 检 (jiǎn, to check) and 险 (xiǎn, danger), which share the 佥 part but use 木 or 阝 on the left side instead of 刂 on the right. Also keep the fourth tone in jiàn, not the third tone of 检 (jiǎn).
Common words with 剑
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 刻舟求剑 | kèzhōu-qiújiàn | lit. a notch on the side of a boat to locate a sword dropped overboard (idiom); fig. an ac | HSK 7-9 |
| 宝剑 | bǎojiàn | (double-edged) sword (esp. a valuable or famous one) | |
| 剑术 | jiànshù | swordsmanship | |
| 刀剑 | dāojiàn | sword | |
| 剑法 | jiànfǎ | fencing; sword-play | |
| 剑客 | jiànkè | swordsman | |
| 击剑 | jījiàn | fencing (sport) | |
| 短剑 | duǎnjiàn | dagger |
剑 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 剑
How many strokes are in 剑?
剑 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 剑 mean?
剑 (jiàn) means double-edged sword; classifier for blows of a sword. A common word with it is 刻舟求剑 (kèzhōu-qiújiàn), meaning "lit. a notch on the side of a boat to locate a sword dropped overboard (idiom); fig. an ac".
How do you pronounce 剑?
剑 is pronounced jiàn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 剑?
The radical of 剑 is 刂, which carries the idea of "knife". Dictionaries list 剑 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 剑?
The traditional form of 剑 is 劍 and 劒. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 剑 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 剑 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 剑 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does the idiom 刻舟求剑 mean?
It tells of a man who dropped his sword from a boat and marked the boat's side to find it later. It describes someone who acts rigidly and ignores that circumstances have changed.
Can 剑 be used as a measure word?
Yes. It can count blows of a sword, as in 刺了一剑 (cì le yí jiàn), meaning to stab once with a sword.