Meaning of 尖
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- pointed; tapering; sharp
- (of a sound) shrill; piercing
- (of one's hearing, sight etc) sharp; acute; keen
- to make (one's voice) shrill
- sharp point; tip
- the best of sth; the cream of the crop
How to use 尖
尖 describes things that are pointed or sharp, sounds that are shrill, and senses that are keen. It also works as a noun for a tip, as in 指尖 (zhǐjiān, fingertip), and appears in words like 顶尖 (dǐngjiān, top-notch). Example: 这支铅笔很尖。(Zhè zhī qiānbǐ hěn jiān.) This pencil is very sharp.
尖 (jiān) is 小 (xiǎo, small) stacked on top of 大 (dà, big). Something that is big at the bottom and small at the top is pointed, like a cone or a pencil tip.
Common mistake: Learners often use 尖 for a sharp knife edge, but a blade that cuts well is 快 (kuài) or 锋利 (fēnglì). 尖 is about a pointed tip, not a cutting edge. Also keep the first tone; jiān is not jiǎn.
尖 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
尖 jiān · pointed · 6 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 尖.
Questions about 尖
What does 尖 mean?
尖 (jiān) means "pointed; tapering; sharp; (of a sound) shrill; piercing" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 尖?
尖 is made of 1 character: 尖 (6 strokes). That is 6 strokes in total.
Is 尖 an HSK word?
Yes. 尖 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 尖 and 尖锐?
尖 is the everyday word for pointed or shrill, often about physical shapes or voices. 尖锐 (jiānruì) is more formal and is often used figuratively, as in 尖锐的批评 (jiānruì de pīpíng, sharp criticism) or an intense conflict.
Can 尖 describe a person's hearing or eyesight?
Yes. 耳朵尖 (ěrduo jiān) means someone has sharp ears, and 眼尖 (yǎn jiān) means someone has sharp eyes and notices things quickly. These are common in casual speech.