歼 meaning and stroke order
To annihilate, to kill off, to wipe out
How to write 歼, stroke by stroke
7 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 歼
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to annihilate
- abbr. for 殲擊機|歼击机[jian1 ji1 ji1], fighter plane
How 歼 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A thousand 千 corpses 歹; 千 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 歹 (corpse), shared by 29 characters on this site.
How to remember 歼
On the left is 歹 (dǎi), a component linked to death and bad things, and on the right is 千 (qiān), a thousand. Picture a thousand fallen enemies to remember that 歼 means to wipe out completely.
歼 is a formal, military word and rarely appears alone in speech. You mostly see it in 歼灭 (jiānmiè, to wipe out) or in names of fighter jets like 歼-20. Example: 我军歼灭了敌人。(Wǒ jūn jiānmièle dírén.) Our army wiped out the enemy.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 歼 with 奸 (jiān, treacherous), which sounds the same and also ends in 千 but has 女 on the left. Remember that 歹 points to death, so 歼 is the one about killing off enemies.
Common words with 歼
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 歼灭 | jiānmiè | to wipe out; to crush | HSK 7-9 |
Questions about 歼
How many strokes are in 歼?
歼 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 歼 mean?
歼 (jiān) means to annihilate, to kill off, to wipe out. A common word with it is 歼灭 (jiānmiè), meaning "to wipe out; to crush".
How do you pronounce 歼?
歼 is pronounced jiān, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 歼?
The radical of 歼 is 歹, which carries the idea of "corpse". Dictionaries list 歼 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 歼?
The traditional form of 歼 is 殲. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 歼 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 歼 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 歼 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 歼 mean in Chinese fighter jet names like 歼-20?
Here 歼 is short for 歼击机 (jiānjījī), meaning fighter plane. So 歼-20 (Jiān-èrshí) is the J-20 fighter. The letter J in its English name comes from this jiān.
Can I use 歼 for killing bugs or in everyday situations?
Not usually. 歼 sounds military and dramatic, so for everyday killing you would use 杀 (shā) or 消灭 (xiāomiè). Using 歼灭 for mosquitoes would sound playful or exaggerated.