贱 meaning and stroke order
Inexpensive; lowly; despicable
How to write 贱, stroke by stroke
9 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 贱
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- inexpensive
- lowly
- despicable
- (bound form) (humble) my
How 贱 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Costing little 戋 money 贝; 戋 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 贝 (sea shell), shared by 63 characters on this site.
How to remember 贱
贱 combines 贝 (bèi, shell, an old symbol for money) with 戋 (jiān, small or little). Something that costs only a little money is cheap, and from there the meaning stretches to lowly or worthless.
In modern speech 贱 most often appears as an insult or in fixed words like 低贱 (dījiàn) and 卑贱 (bēijiàn) describing low status. The meaning "inexpensive" survives mainly in set phrases and older or regional speech, for example 东西卖得很贱 (dōngxi mài de hěn jiàn) "the goods sold very cheap." For everyday "cheap," people usually say 便宜 (piányi).
Common mistake: Learners sometimes use 贱 to mean "cheap" when shopping, but calling a person or even an item 贱 can sound rude or insulting, so use 便宜 (piányi) instead. Also do not confuse it with 钱 (qián, money), which shares the 戋 part but has 钅 (metal) on the left.
Common words with 贱
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 贱人 | jiànrén | slut; cheap person | |
| 贱货 | jiànhuò | bitch; slut | |
| 下贱 | xiàjiàn | humble; lowly | |
| 低贱 | dījiàn | lowly; humble; cheap; inexpensive | |
| 卑贱 | bēijiàn | lowly; mean and low | |
| 贱民 | jiànmín | social stratum below the level of ordinary people; untouchable |
贱 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 贱
Learning 贱 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 贱
How many strokes are in 贱?
贱 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 贱 mean?
贱 (jiàn) means inexpensive; lowly; despicable. A common word with it is 贱人 (jiànrén), meaning "slut; cheap person".
How do you pronounce 贱?
贱 is pronounced jiàn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 贱?
The radical of 贱 is 贝, which carries the idea of "sea shell". Dictionaries list 贱 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 贱?
The traditional form of 贱 is 賤. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 贱 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 贱 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 贱 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is 贱 a swear word in Chinese?
It can be. Words like 贱人 (jiànrén) and 贱货 (jiànhuò) are strong insults, so avoid them in polite conversation. Friends sometimes use 贱 jokingly to tease someone for acting cheeky, but that depends heavily on the relationship.
Why does 贱 sometimes mean "my"?
In traditional humble speech, people lowered themselves to show respect to others, so 贱 could mean "my" in phrases like 贱内 (jiànnèi, my wife). This usage is old-fashioned today and mostly appears in historical dramas or literature.