殲 meaning and stroke order
To annihilate, to kill off, to wipe out
How to write 殲, stroke by stroke
21 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 殲
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to annihilate
- abbr. for 殲擊機|歼击机[jian1 ji1 ji1], fighter plane
How 殲 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Death.
歹 gives the meaning and 韱 hints at the sound.
Radical: 歹 (corpse), shared by 29 characters on this site.
How to remember 殲
殲 combines 歹, a component linked to death, with 韱 (xiān), which gives the sound. Picture death sweeping through an army until it is wiped out.
殲 (jiān) is a formal, military word meaning to wipe out an enemy. It appears mostly in compounds like 殲滅 (jiānmiè) and 殲擊機 (jiānjījī, fighter plane), and the simplified form is 歼. Example: 我軍殲滅了敵人。(Wǒ jūn jiānmiè le dírén.) Our army wiped out the enemy.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes read 殲 as xiān because of its sound component 韱, but the correct reading is jiān with a first tone. Also do not confuse it with 纖 (xiān, fine, slender), which shares the same right side but uses the silk radical 糸.
Common words with 殲
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 殲滅 | jiānmiè | to wipe out; to crush | HSK 7-9 |
Questions about 殲
How many strokes are in 殲?
殲 is written with 21 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 殲 mean?
殲 (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 殲?
殲 is pronounced jiān, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 殲?
The radical of 殲 is 歹, which carries the idea of "corpse". Dictionaries list 殲 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 殲?
殲 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 歼, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Can I use 殲 to talk about killing in everyday situations?
Not usually. 殲 sounds military and formal, so it fits news reports, history, and war films. For everyday killing, people say 殺 (shā), as in 殺蟲 (shāchóng, to kill insects).
Why do Chinese fighter jet names start with 殲?
殲 is short for 殲擊機 (jiānjījī), fighter plane. Chinese fighter models are named with it, such as 殲-20 (Jiān-èrshí), the J-20, where the letter J comes from jiān.