The character 简 — “simple”: how to write it and what it means
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The Chinese character 简 is read jiǎn and means “simple”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 简
简 has 13 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 简, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 简 is made of
On top, 竹 “bamboo”; below, 间 jiān hints at the sound.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 简
- 简单simpleHSK 3
- 简直simply (intensifier)HSK 5
- 简历résumé, CVHSK 5
- 简化simplifyHSK 6
- 简介brief introduction; summarizeHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 简?
简 has 13 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 简 mean?
简 means “simple”. It appears in 简单 (“simple”), 简直 (“simply”), 简历 (“résumé”), 简化 (“simplify”).
How do you pronounce 简?
简 is read jiǎn. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 简 have?
13 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 简 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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