Meaning of 建
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to establish
- to found
- to set up
- to build
- to construct
How to use 建
建 is mostly used in compounds or with a concrete object such as a building, bridge, or school, and it often appears in written or news style. Common words are 建立 (jiànlì), 建设 (jiànshè), and 建筑 (jiànzhù). Example: 这里要建一座新学校。(Zhèlǐ yào jiàn yí zuò xīn xuéxiào.) A new school is going to be built here.
建 (jiàn) has 聿, a hand holding a brush, sitting on the long sweeping stroke 廴 at the bottom left. Picture an architect drawing plans with a brush, then stretching the design out into a long road and a building.
Common mistake: Learners often write 廴 like 辶, adding the dots of 辶 or tilting the stroke the wrong way. 廴 has no dot on top, and it is written last, after 聿, even though it sits under it. Also, 建 is not the jiàn in 见 (to see) or 件 (measure word for items).
建 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.
建 jiàn · to establish · 8 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 建.
| 建议 | jiànyì | to propose; to suggest; to recommend; proposal; suggestion; recommendation (CL:點|点[dian3]) |
| 建立 | jiànlì | to establish; to set up |
| 建设 | jiànshè | to build; to construct; to establish; to develop; to institute |
| 建成 | jiànchéng | to establish; to build |
| 建筑 | jiànzhù | to construct; building |
| 建造 | jiànzào | to construct; to build |
| 修建 | xiūjiàn | to build; to construct |
| 重建 | chóngjiàn | to rebuild; to reconstruct; to reestablish |
| 创建 | chuàngjiàn | to found; to establish |
| 构建 | gòujiàn | to construct (sth abstract) |
| 建筑物 | jiànzhùwù | building; structure |
| 建筑师 | jiànzhùshī | architect |
Questions about 建
What does 建 mean?
建 (jiàn) means "to establish; to found" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 建?
建 is made of 1 character: 建 (8 strokes). That is 8 strokes in total.
Is 建 an HSK word?
Yes. 建 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 建 and 造?
Both can mean to build. 建 leans toward establishing or setting something up, including abstract things like 建立关系 (to build a relationship). 造 leans toward making or manufacturing, as in 造船 (to build ships). Together they form 建造 (jiànzào), to construct.
Why does 建议 mean suggest if 建 means build?
In 建议, 建 has the sense of putting something forward or setting it up, and 议 means opinion or discussion. So a 建议 is an opinion you put forward. It works as both a verb and a noun: 我建议你早点睡 (I suggest you sleep early) and 一个好建议 (a good suggestion).