簡 meaning and stroke order
Simple, succinct, terse; a letter
How to write 簡, stroke by stroke
18 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 簡
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- simple
- uncomplicated
- letter
- to choose
- to select
- bamboo strips used for writing (old)
How 簡 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Bamboo.
⺮ gives the meaning and 間 hints at the sound.
Radical: ⺮ (bamboo), shared by 149 characters on this site.
How to remember 簡
簡 has bamboo ⺮ on top and 間 (jiān) below, which gives the sound. Picture the old bamboo strips people wrote on: space was tight, so writing had to be simple and brief.
簡 is the traditional form, and the simplified form 简 is used in mainland China. It appears mostly in compounds about simplicity or brevity, such as 簡單 (jiǎndān) simple and 簡歷 (jiǎnlì) résumé. Example: 這個問題很簡單。(Zhège wèntí hěn jiǎndān.) This question is very simple.
Common mistake: Learners often read 簡 as jiān because of the phonetic part 間, but 簡 is third tone, jiǎn. Also take care not to confuse the bottom part 間 (between) with 問 (wèn, to ask) or 聞 (wén, to hear) when writing.
Common words with 簡
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 簡單 | jiǎndān | simple; not complicated | HSK 3 |
| 簡直 | jiǎnzhí | simply; really | HSK 3 |
| 簡歷 | jiǎnlì | curriculum vitae (CV); résumé | HSK 4 |
| 簡介 | jiǎnjiè | summary; brief introduction | HSK 6 |
| 簡短 | jiǎnduǎn | brief (statement, summary etc); briefly | HSK 7-9 |
| 簡稱 | jiǎnchēng | to be abbreviated to; abbreviation; short form | HSK 7-9 |
| 簡潔 | jiǎnjié | concise; succinct | HSK 7-9 |
| 簡陋 | jiǎnlòu | simple and crude | HSK 7-9 |
| 簡易 | jiǎnyì | simple and easy; simplistic | HSK 7-9 |
| 簡化 | jiǎnhuà | to simplify | HSK 7-9 |
| 簡要 | jiǎnyào | concise; brief | HSK 7-9 |
| 精簡 | jīngjiǎn | to simplify; to reduce | HSK 7-9 |
| 簡體字 | jiǎntǐzì | simplified Chinese character, as opposed to traditional Chinese character 繁體字|繁体字[fan2 ti3 | HSK 7-9 |
| 簡體 | jiǎntǐ | simplified form of Chinese characters, as opposed to traditional form 繁體|繁体[fan2 ti3] |
Questions about 簡
How many strokes are in 簡?
簡 is written with 18 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 簡 mean?
簡 (jiǎn) means simple, succinct, terse; a letter. A common word with it is 简单 (jiǎndān), meaning "simple; not complicated".
How do you pronounce 簡?
簡 is pronounced jiǎn, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 簡?
The radical of 簡 is ⺮, which carries the idea of "bamboo". Dictionaries list 簡 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 簡?
簡 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 简, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What does 簡直 (jiǎnzhí) mean, and how is it different from 簡單?
簡直 is an adverb meaning simply or practically, used for emphasis, as in 簡直太好了 (jiǎnzhí tài hǎo le), it is simply wonderful. 簡單 is an adjective meaning simple or not complicated.
Why is 簡 used in the word for Simplified Chinese?
Simplified Chinese is 簡體字 (jiǎntǐzì), literally simple-form characters, and 簡 carries the meaning simplified. Traditional Chinese is 繁體字 (fántǐzì), where 繁 means complex.