闲 meaning and stroke order
Idle; unoccupied; leisure
How to write 闲, stroke by stroke
7 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Meaning of 闲
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- idle
- unoccupied
- leisure
- enclosure
- (variant of 閒|闲[xian2]) idle
How 闲 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A wooden fence 木 with a door 门.
Radical: 门 (gate), shared by 47 characters on this site.
How to remember 闲
闲 is a wooden fence 木 set inside a door 门. Once the gate is fenced and guarded, there is nothing left to do, so you can sit back and be idle.
闲 (xián) usually means free, idle, or not busy, and it often describes people or time. It appears in words like 休闲 (xiūxián, leisure) and 闲聊 (xiánliáo, to chat). Example: 我今天很闲。(Wǒ jīntiān hěn xián.) I am really free today.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 闲 (xián) with 间 (jiān), which has 日 inside the door instead of 木 and means space or room. Also keep the second tone in xián, and do not mix it up with 咸 (xián, salty), which sounds the same.
Common words with 闲
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 休闲 | xiūxián | leisure; relaxation | HSK 5 |
| 悠闲 | yōuxián | leisurely; carefree | HSK 7-9 |
| 说闲话 | shuō xiánhuà | to chat; to gossip | HSK 7-9 |
| 多管闲事 | duōguǎnxiánshì | meddling in other people's business | |
| 闲逛 | xiánguàng | to stroll | |
| 闲聊 | xiánliáo | to chat; casual conversation | |
| 空闲 | kòngxián | leisure; spare time; (of a person) free; unoccupied | |
| 管闲事 | guǎnxiánshì | to meddle; to be a "nosy Parker" | |
| 少管闲事 | shǎoguǎnxiánshì | Mind your own business!; Don't interfere! | |
| 游手好闲 | yóushǒuhàoxián | to idle about | |
| 闲话 | xiánhuà | casual conversation; chat | |
| 闲事 | xiánshì | other people's business | |
| 闲人 | xiánrén | idle person; idler; person who has no legitimate reason to be in a certain place | |
| 闲谈 | xiántán | to chat |
闲 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 闲
Learning 闲 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 闲
How many strokes are in 闲?
闲 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 闲 mean?
闲 (xián) means idle; unoccupied; leisure. A common word with it is 休闲 (xiūxián), meaning "leisure; relaxation".
How do you pronounce 闲?
闲 is pronounced xián, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 闲?
The radical of 闲 is 门, which carries the idea of "gate". Dictionaries list 闲 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 闲?
The traditional form of 闲 is 閑 and 閒. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 闲 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 闲 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 闲 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 闲 and 空 for being free?
Both can mean you have free time. 闲 (xián) sounds like a general state of being idle, as in 我很闲. 空 (kòng) is more about having an open slot, as in 你有空吗？(Nǐ yǒu kòng ma?) Are you free?
Does 闲 have a negative meaning?
It can. 闲话 (xiánhuà) often means gossip, and 多管闲事 (duōguǎnxiánshì) means poking into other people's business. Saying someone is 太闲 (tài xián, too idle) can also sound like criticism.