The character 剪 — “cut with scissors”: how to write it and what it means
cut with scissors
The Chinese character 剪 is read jiǎn and means “cut with scissors”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 剪
剪 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 剪, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 剪 is made of
At the bottom, 刀 “knife”; on top, 前 qián 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 剪
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 剪?
剪 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 剪 mean?
剪 means “cut with scissors”. It appears in 剪刀 (“scissors”).
How do you pronounce 剪?
剪 is read jiǎn. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 剪 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 剪 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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