The character 减 — “reduce”: how to write it and what it means
reduce, subtract
The Chinese character 减 is read jiǎn and means “reduce, subtract”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 减
减 has 11 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 减, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 减 is made of
On the left, 冫 “ice”; the right part 咸 is the same as in 喊 hǎn. The opposite of 加 “add”.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 减
- 减少reduce, decreaseHSK 4
- 减轻ease, lightenHSK 4
- 减肥lose weightHSK 5
- 减压relieve stress; reduce pressureHSK 6
- 减弱weakenHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 减?
减 has 11 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 减 mean?
减 means “reduce, subtract”. It appears in 减少 (“reduce”), 减轻 (“ease”), 减肥 (“lose weight”), 减压 (“relieve stress”).
How do you pronounce 减?
减 is read jiǎn. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 减 have?
11 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 减 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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