閑 meaning and stroke order
Fence, guard; to defend; idle time
How to write 閑, 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 閑
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- enclosure
- (variant of 閒|闲[xian2]) idle
- unoccupied
- leisure
How 閑 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A wooden fence 木 with a door 門.
Radical: 門 (gate), shared by 42 characters on this site.
How to remember 閑
Picture a door 門 (mén) with a wooden bar 木 (mù) set inside it, like a fence that keeps things in or out. Once the gate is barred and the work is shut away, you finally have idle time.
Today 閑 is mostly met in its leisure sense, the same as simplified 闲 and the variant 閒. It shows up in words like 闲逛 (xiánguàng, to stroll) and 闲谈 (xiántán, to chat). Example: 我周末很閑。(Wǒ zhōumò hěn xián.) I am free on weekends.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 閑 with 間 (jiān), which has 日 inside the door instead of 木 and means space or between. Also keep the second tone in xián. Do not read it as xiǎn or xiàn.
Common words with 閑
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 閑逛 | xiánguàng | to stroll | |
| 遊手好閑 | yóushǒuhàoxián | to idle about | |
| 閑人 | xiánrén | idle person; idler; person who has no legitimate reason to be in a certain place | |
| 閑談 | xiántán | to chat |
Questions about 閑
How many strokes are in 閑?
閑 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 閑 mean?
閑 (xián) means fence, guard; to defend; idle time. A common word with it is 闲逛 (xiánguàng), meaning "to stroll".
How do you pronounce 閑?
閑 is pronounced xián, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 閑?
The radical of 閑 is 門, which carries the idea of "gate". Dictionaries list 閑 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 閑?
閑 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 闲, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 閑, 閒, and 闲?
All three can mean idle or leisure. 闲 is the simplified form used in mainland China. 閑 and 閒 are traditional forms, and 閑 also keeps the older sense of an enclosure or fence.
Does 闲人 always mean a lazy person?
No. It can mean someone with free time, but on signs like 闲人免进 (xiánrén miǎn jìn) it means people with no business here. That sign is read as no unauthorized entry.