剑
Character learning workspace

jiàn · sword, dagger, saber

Master the form, understand its parts, and learn how it behaves in real Chinese.

HSK 3.0 · Level 6Frequency #1749
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Learn every stroke in 剑

Replay the complete order, pause on difficult movements, inspect one stroke at a time, then write it yourself with live correction.

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Stroke graphics: Make Me a Hanzi / Arphic Public License
Step-by-step explorer

See how 剑 is constructed

Switch between the accumulated form and the isolated movement of each stroke.

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Writing notes

Shape and proportion

9Total strokes

Count each continuous pen movement once, including turns and hooks.

Left-rightCharacter structure

Keep the left side compact and leave enough room for the right side.

刂Key radical

Use the highlighted radical in the animation as a visual anchor for remembering the form.

Print and practise

Download a 剑 writing sheet

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Includes the stroke sequence, progressive tracing, and blank writing squares. Generated locally in your browser.

Vocabulary in context

Common words with 剑

Open a word for its full breakdown, or listen before reading the meaning.

jiànWords pronounced jiàn
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Example sentences

Notice where 剑 sits in each complete thought.

Kǒng jù bǐ lì jiàn gèng shāng rén.恐惧比利剑更伤人。

Fear is more harmful than the sharpest of swords.

Source: Tatoeba #2165975 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ yào yì bǎ jiàn!我要一把剑!

I want a sword!

Source: Tatoeba #1441201 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Bǎ jiàn gěi wǒ.把剑给我。

Give me the sword.

Source: Tatoeba #4763883 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Shì jiè shàng de dà xué yǐ jiàn qiáo zuì wèi yǒu míng.世界上的大学以剑桥最为有名 。

Cambridge is the most famous university in the world.

Source: Tatoeba #755508 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Kè lǐ sī yáng qǐ tā de jiàn.克里斯扬起他的剑。

Chris swung his sword!

Source: Tatoeba #1192577 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ de jiàn suī rán shì dùn de, dàn yìng fù nǐ de huà shì chuò chuò yǒu yú de.我的剑虽然是钝的,但应付你的话是绰绰有余的。

My sword may be blunt, but that's more than enough for someone like you.

Source: Tatoeba #498431 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Turn reference into recall

How to study 剑 in context

  1. Say jiàn, then recall the core meaning: sword, dagger, saber.
  2. Write all 9 strokes while keeping the left-right balanced.
  3. Use it in 刻舟求剑 (kè zhōu qiú jiàn), meaning “lit. a notch on the side of a boat to locate a sword dropped overboard”.
  4. Read the complete sentence aloud once, then cover the translation and explain how 剑 works in that context.

Definitions and traditional forms are compiled from Make Me a Hanzi, HSK curriculum data, and CC-CEDICT. Sourced example sentences link to Tatoeba; editorial examples are labeled separately. Review data sources and licenses.