监 meaning and stroke order
To supervise, to direct, to control; to inspect; prison, jail
How to write 监, stroke by stroke
10 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 监
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to supervise
- to inspect
- jail
- prison
- (bound form) supervisor; supervisory office (in imperial China)
How 监 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 皿 (dish), shared by 28 characters on this site.
How to remember 监
The bottom of 监 is 皿 (mǐn), a dish or vessel. Picture someone standing over a dish, watching it closely, and you have the idea of watching over and supervising.
监 (jiān) mostly appears in two-character words about watching or controlling, such as 监督 (jiāndū), 监控 (jiānkòng) and 监狱 (jiānyù). It is rarely used alone in modern speech. Example: 老师在监督学生考试。(Lǎoshī zài jiāndū xuéshēng kǎoshì.) The teacher is supervising the students' exam.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 监 (jiān) with 盐 (yán, salt) and 蓝 (lán, blue), because all three share the 皿 base. 盐 has 土 and 卜 on top, and 蓝 has the grass radical 艹 above a 监.
Common words with 监
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 总监 | zǒngjiān | head; director (of an organizational unit) | HSK 6 |
| 监督 | jiāndū | to supervise; to oversee; to inspect | HSK 6 |
| 监测 | jiāncè | to monitor | HSK 6 |
| 监狱 | jiānyù | prison | HSK 7-9 |
| 监视 | jiānshì | to monitor; to keep a close watch over | HSK 7-9 |
| 监控 | jiānkòng | to monitor | HSK 7-9 |
| 监管 | jiānguǎn | to oversee; to take charge of | HSK 7-9 |
| 监护 | jiānhù | to act as a guardian | HSK 7-9 |
| 监察 | jiānchá | to supervise; to control | HSK 7-9 |
| 监禁 | jiānjìn | to imprison; to jail | |
| 监听 | jiāntīng | to monitor; to listen in; to eavesdrop | |
| 监视器 | jiānshìqì | security camera; surveillance monitor | |
| 监护人 | jiānhùrén | guardian | |
| 监制 | jiānzhì | to supervise the manufacture of; to supervise the shooting of films |
监 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 监
Learning 监 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 监
How many strokes are in 监?
监 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 监 mean?
监 (jiān) means to supervise, to direct, to control; to inspect; prison, jail. A common word with it is 总监 (zǒngjiān), meaning "head; director (of an organizational unit)".
How do you pronounce 监?
监 is pronounced jiān, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 监?
The radical of 监 is 皿, which carries the idea of "dish". Dictionaries list 监 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 监?
The traditional form of 监 is 監. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 监 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 监 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 监 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
When is 监 read jiàn instead of jiān?
The fourth tone jiàn is used for old official titles and offices, like 太监 (tàijiàn, palace eunuch) and 国子监 (Guózǐjiàn, the imperial academy). In almost all modern words it is first tone jiān.
What is the difference between 监视 and 监控?
监视 (jiānshì) means keeping a close watch on someone, often with suspicion, like a spy or police. 监控 (jiānkòng) is about monitoring and controlling, and it is the common word for surveillance cameras, as in 监控摄像头 (jiānkòng shèxiàngtóu).