缄 meaning and stroke order
To seal, to close, to bind; a letter
How to write 缄, stroke by stroke
12 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 缄
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- letters
- to close
- to seal
- (wooden) box
- cup
- old variant of 緘|缄[jian1]
How 缄 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Silk.
纟 gives the meaning and 咸 hints at the sound.
Radical: 纟 (silk), shared by 143 characters on this site.
How to remember 缄
缄 combines the silk radical 纟 with 咸 (xián), which gives the sound. Picture tying a letter shut with a silk cord so no one can read it: that is sealing or closing.
缄 is a literary character that shows up mostly in set words. The most common is 缄默 (jiānmò), to keep silent, and you may also see it on envelopes after a sender's name to mean "sealed by." Example: 他对这件事保持缄默。(Tā duì zhè jiàn shì bǎochí jiānmò.) He kept silent about this matter.
Common mistake: Learners often read 缄 as xián because of the phonetic part 咸, but it is pronounced jiān with a first tone. Also do not confuse it with 減/减 (jiǎn, to reduce), which shares 咸 but uses a water radical instead of silk.
Common words with 缄
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 缄默 | jiānmò | to keep silent |
Questions about 缄
How many strokes are in 缄?
缄 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 缄 mean?
缄 (jiān) means to seal, to close, to bind; a letter. A common word with it is 缄默 (jiānmò), meaning "to keep silent".
How do you pronounce 缄?
缄 is pronounced jiān, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 缄?
The radical of 缄 is 纟, which carries the idea of "silk". Dictionaries list 缄 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 缄?
The traditional form of 缄 is 椷 and 緘. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 缄 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Why do Chinese envelopes have 缄 after the sender's name?
On traditional envelopes, writing a name plus 缄, such as 王缄, means the letter was sealed by that person. It is a formal custom that is less common today but still seen.
What is the difference between 缄默 and 沉默?
Both mean silent. 沉默 (chénmò) is everyday and can describe a quiet personality, while 缄默 is formal and suggests deliberately refusing to speak about something.