间 meaning and stroke order
Between; among; within a definite time or space
How to write 间, 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
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- 7
Meaning of 间
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- between
- among
- within a definite time or space
- room
- section of a room or lateral space between two pairs of pillars
- classifier for rooms
- gap
- to separate
- to thin out (seedlings)
- to sow discontent
How 间 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. The sun 日 shining through a doorway 门.
Radical: 门 (gate), shared by 47 characters on this site.
How to remember 间
Picture the sun 日 (rì) shining through the gap in a doorway 门 (mén). The light you see is in the space between the two door panels, which is the core idea of 间: a space between things.
间 (jiān) appears in many everyday words about space and time, such as 时间 (shíjiān, time), 房间 (fángjiān, room) and 中间 (zhōngjiān, middle). It is also a classifier for rooms. Example: 我家有三间房。(Wǒ jiā yǒu sān jiān fáng.) My home has three rooms.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 间 with 问 (wèn, to ask), which has 口 inside the door instead of 日. Also, do not write 门 with a closed box shape. Its simplified form starts with a dot, not a vertical stroke.
Common words with 间
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 时间 | shíjiān | (concept of) time; (duration of) time | HSK 1 |
| 房间 | fángjiān | room | HSK 1 |
| 中间 | zhōngjiān | the middle; the inside; in the middle; within; between; among | HSK 1 |
| 洗手间 | xǐshǒujiān | toilet; lavatory | HSK 1 |
| 卫生间 | wèishēngjiān | bathroom; toilet | HSK 3 |
| 民间 | mínjiān | among the people; popular | HSK 3 |
| 之间 | zhījiān | (after a noun) between; among; amid; (used after certain bisyllabic words to form expressi | HSK 4 |
| 空间 | kōngjiān | space; room; (fig.) scope; leeway | HSK 4 |
| 期间 | qījiān | period of time; time | HSK 4 |
| 人间 | rénjiān | the human world; the earth | HSK 5 |
| 夜间 | yèjiān | nighttime; evening or night (e.g. classes) | HSK 5 |
| 间接 | jiànjiē | indirectly; indirect | HSK 5 |
| 间谍 | jiàndié | spy | HSK 7-9 |
| 瞬间 | shùnjiān | in an instant; in a flash | HSK 7-9 |
间 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 间
Learning 间 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 间
How many strokes are in 间?
间 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 间 mean?
间 (jiān) means between; among; within a definite time or space. A common word with it is 时间 (shíjiān), meaning "(concept of) time; (duration of) time".
How do you pronounce 间?
间 is pronounced jiān, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 间?
The radical of 间 is 门, which carries the idea of "gate". Dictionaries list 间 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 间?
The traditional form of 间 is 間. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 间 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 间 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 间 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
When is 间 pronounced jiàn instead of jiān?
The fourth tone jiàn is used when the meaning is a gap or separation, as in 间隔 (jiàngé, interval) or 离间 (líjiàn, to sow discord). In most common words like 时间 and 房间, it is first tone jiān.
What is the difference between 中间 and 之间?
中间 (zhōngjiān) can stand alone to mean the middle, as in 坐在中间 (sit in the middle). 之间 (zhījiān) must follow a noun or phrase, as in 我们之间 (between us).