拣 meaning and stroke order
To choose; to pick; to sort out
How to write 拣, stroke by stroke
8 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 拣
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to choose
- to pick
- to sort out
- to pick up
How 拣 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hand.
扌 gives the meaning and 柬 hints at the sound.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 拣
拣 has the hand radical 扌 on the left, showing an action done by hand, and 柬 (jiǎn) on the right, which gives the sound. Picture a hand picking through things to choose the good ones.
拣 is common in spoken Chinese for picking things up or picking out what you want. It often appears in 挑拣 (tiāojiǎn, to pick and choose) and 拣起来 (jiǎn qǐlai, to pick up). Example: 他把地上的钱拣起来了。(Tā bǎ dìshang de qián jiǎn qǐlai le.) He picked up the money from the ground.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 拣 with 捡 (jiǎn). They share the same sound and both can mean to pick up. In standard modern usage 捡 is preferred for picking something up off the ground, and 拣 is preferred for choosing or sorting.
拣 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 拣
How many strokes are in 拣?
拣 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 拣 mean?
拣 (jiǎn) means to choose; to pick; to sort out.
How do you pronounce 拣?
拣 is pronounced jiǎn, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 拣?
The radical of 拣 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 拣 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 拣?
The traditional form of 拣 is 揀. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 拣 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 拣 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 拣 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 拣 and 挑?
Both can mean to choose. 挑 (tiāo) is the more everyday word for selecting, as in 挑衣服 (tiāo yīfu, to pick out clothes). 拣 adds a sense of sorting through items by hand, and the two are often combined as 挑拣.
What does 拣便宜 mean?
拣便宜 (jiǎn piányi) means to grab a bargain or take advantage of a good deal. You will also see it written as 捡便宜, which is now the more common form.