The character 健 — “strong”: how to write it and what it means
strong, healthy
The Chinese character 健 is read jiàn and means “strong, healthy”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 健
健 has 10 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 健, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 健 is made of
On the left, 亻 “person”; on the right, 建 jiàn 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 健
- 健康healthy; healthHSK 3
- 健身work out (fitness)HSK 4
- 健身房gymHSK 4
- 保健take care of health; health careHSK 6
- 健全sound, complete; improveHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 健?
健 has 10 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 健 mean?
健 means “strong, healthy”. It appears in 健康 (“healthy”), 健身 (“work out”), 健身房 (“gym”), 保健 (“take care of health”).
How do you pronounce 健?
健 is read jiàn. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 健 have?
10 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 健 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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