渐 meaning and stroke order
Gradually
How to write 渐, stroke by stroke
11 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
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- 4
- 5
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- 11
Meaning of 渐
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to imbue
- gradual
- gradually
How 渐 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water.
氵 gives the meaning and 斩 hints at the sound.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 渐
渐 is built from water 氵 on the left and 斩 (zhǎn, to cut) on the right, which gives the sound. Picture water slowly cutting through rock, little by little, and you have the idea of gradually.
渐 usually appears in two-character words like 渐渐 (jiànjiàn) and 逐渐 (zhújiàn), placed before a verb to show slow change. Example: 天渐渐黑了。(Tiān jiànjiàn hēi le.) It is gradually getting dark.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 渐 with 斩 (zhǎn) or 暂 (zàn, temporary), since all share 斩. Remember that only 渐 has the water radical 氵, and its tone is fourth tone jiàn, not zhǎn.
Common words with 渐
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
渐 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 渐
How many strokes are in 渐?
渐 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 渐 mean?
渐 (jiàn) means gradually. A common word with it is 逐渐 (zhújiàn), meaning "gradually".
How do you pronounce 渐?
渐 is pronounced jiàn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 渐?
The radical of 渐 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 渐 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 渐?
The traditional form of 渐 is 漸. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 渐 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 渐 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 渐 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 渐渐 and 逐渐?
Both mean gradually. 渐渐 feels more natural and descriptive, and is common in speech and stories. 逐渐 sounds a bit more formal and is often used for steady, step by step processes, as in 逐渐提高 (zhújiàn tígāo, gradually improve).
When is 渐 read jiān instead of jiàn?
The reading jiān means to imbue or soak into, and it appears mainly in literary or classical phrases. In everyday modern Chinese you can almost always read it as jiàn.