Meaning of 闲
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- idle
- unoccupied
- leisure
- enclosure
- (variant of 閒|闲[xian2]) idle
- unoccupied
- leisure
How to use 闲
闲 describes having free time or being unoccupied, and it often appears in compounds like 休闲 (xiūxián) and 闲聊 (xiánliáo). It can also mean idle or unimportant, as in 闲事 (xiánshì), other people's business. Example: 你周末闲吗？(Nǐ zhōumò xián ma?) Are you free this weekend?
闲 (xián) is a tree 木 (mù) inside a gate 门 (mén). Picture someone with nothing to do, leaning on a tree by the gate and watching the day go by.
Common mistake: Learners confuse 闲 with 间 (jiān), which has 日 inside the gate instead of 木. Also avoid saying 我很闲 to a boss or customer, because it can sound like you are lazy or have nothing useful to do.
闲 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.
闲 xián · idle · 7 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 闲.
| 休闲 | xiūxián | leisure; relaxation |
| 悠闲 | yōuxián | leisurely; carefree |
| 说闲话 | shuō xiánhuà | to chat; to gossip |
| 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 |
Questions about 闲
What does 闲 mean?
闲 (xián) means "idle; unoccupied" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 闲?
闲 is made of 1 character: 闲 (7 strokes). That is 7 strokes in total.
Is 闲 an HSK word?
Yes. 闲 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 闲 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 闲 is written 閒.
What is the difference between 闲 and 空 (kòng) for being free?
Both can mean having free time. 有空 (yǒu kòng) is the most common neutral way to ask if someone is available. 闲 focuses more on being idle or not busy, and it can carry a slight hint of having nothing to do.
What does 多管闲事 mean, and is it rude?
多管闲事 (duōguǎnxiánshì) means poking into matters that are none of your business. Saying 别多管闲事 (bié duō guǎn xiánshì) to someone is blunt, roughly like telling them to mind their own business.