柬 meaning and stroke order
Card, letter, invitation, note
How to write 柬, 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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- 9
Meaning of 柬
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- card
- note
- letter
- old variant of 揀|拣[jian3]
How 柬 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A bound 束 package.
Radical: 木 (tree), shared by 388 characters on this site.
How to remember 柬
柬 (jiǎn) is 束 (shù, to bind) with 八 tucked inside, like a bundle of papers tied together. Picture a bound package of cards or letters waiting to be sent.
柬 rarely appears alone in modern Chinese. You will mostly see it in 请柬 (qǐngjiǎn), a formal written invitation, such as for a wedding. Example: 我收到了他们的结婚请柬。(Wǒ shōudào le tāmen de jiéhūn qǐngjiǎn.) I received their wedding invitation.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 柬 with 束 (shù, to bind). 柬 has the two extra dots of 八 inside the frame, while 束 does not. Also do not mix it up with 拣 (jiǎn, to pick), which sounds the same but has the hand radical 扌.
Common words with 柬
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 请柬 | qǐngjiǎn | invitation card; written invitation | HSK 7-9 |
Characters that contain 柬
Learning 柬 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 柬
How many strokes are in 柬?
柬 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 柬 mean?
柬 (jiǎn) means card, letter, invitation, note. A common word with it is 请柬 (qǐngjiǎn), meaning "invitation card; written invitation".
How do you pronounce 柬?
柬 is pronounced jiǎn, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 柬?
The radical of 柬 is 木, which carries the idea of "tree". Dictionaries list 柬 under this radical.
Is 柬 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 柬 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Why does 柬 appear in the name of Cambodia?
Cambodia is 柬埔寨 (Jiǎnpǔzhài) in Chinese. Here 柬 is used only for its sound, not its meaning of card or letter.
Is 请柬 the same as 邀请函?
Both mean invitation. 请柬 usually refers to a printed card for personal events like weddings or banquets, while 邀请函 (yāoqǐnghán) is more often a formal letter for business or official events.