監 meaning and stroke order
To supervise, to direct, to control; to inspect; prison, jail
How to write 監, stroke by stroke
14 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 監
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to supervise
- to inspect
- jail
- prison
- (bound form) supervisor; supervisory office (in imperial China)
How 監 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Minister.
臣 gives the meaning and 皿 hints at the sound.
Radical: 皿 (dish), shared by 28 characters on this site.
How to remember 監
監 (jiān) has a minister 臣 on top watching over a vessel 皿 below. Picture an official keeping a close eye on what goes into the bowl, and you have "to supervise" or "to inspect".
監 is the traditional form, and it appears in many two-character words about watching and control, such as 監督 (jiāndū), 監控 (jiānkòng) and 監獄 (jiānyù). Example: 經理每天監督我們的工作。(Jīnglǐ měitiān jiāndū wǒmen de gōngzuò.) The manager supervises our work every day.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 監 with 藍 (lán, blue) and 籃 (lán, basket), which contain 監 inside them. If you see a grass or bamboo top, it is not 監. Also note the tone: in most words it is first tone jiān, so do not say jiàn in 監督 or 監獄.
Common words with 監
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 總監 | zǒngjiān | head; director (of an organizational unit) | HSK 6 |
| 監督 | jiāndū | to supervise; to oversee; to inspect | HSK 6 |
| 監測 | jiāncè | to monitor | HSK 6 |
| 監獄 | jiānyù | prison | HSK 7-9 |
| 監視 | jiānshì | to monitor; to keep a close watch over | HSK 7-9 |
| 監控 | jiānkòng | to monitor | HSK 7-9 |
| 監管 | jiānguǎn | to oversee; to take charge of | HSK 7-9 |
| 監護 | jiānhù | to act as a guardian | HSK 7-9 |
| 監察 | jiānchá | to supervise; to control | HSK 7-9 |
| 監禁 | jiānjìn | to imprison; to jail | |
| 監聽 | jiāntīng | to monitor; to listen in; to eavesdrop | |
| 監視器 | jiānshìqì | security camera; surveillance monitor | |
| 監護人 | jiānhùrén | guardian | |
| 監製 | jiānzhì | to supervise the manufacture of; to supervise the shooting of films |
Characters that contain 監
Learning 監 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 監
How many strokes are in 監?
監 is written with 14 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 監 mean?
監 (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 監?
監 is pronounced jiān, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 監?
The radical of 監 is 皿, which carries the idea of "dish". Dictionaries list 監 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 監?
監 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 监, used in mainland China and Singapore.
When is 監 pronounced jiàn instead of jiān?
The fourth tone jiàn is a bound form for supervisors or supervisory offices in imperial China. An example is 太監 (tàijiàn), a palace eunuch. In modern everyday words like 監視 and 監測, it is jiān.
What is the difference between 監視 and 監控?
監視 (jiānshì) means to keep a close watch on someone, often with suspicion, like police watching a suspect. 監控 (jiānkòng) means to monitor and control, and it is the usual word for surveillance cameras, as in 監控攝像頭.