笺 (jiān): letter, note-paper
笺 (jiān) is a Chinese character meaning “letter.” Outside the HSK 3.0 syllabus (CLEC 2022), it is composed of ⺮ (semantic) and 戋 (phonetic). It ranks #3823 in character frequency (SUBTLEX-CH corpus).
Etymologically derived, 笺 bamboo. Its radical form 竹 (bamboo) appears in many related characters such as 第 (dì, (prefix indicating ordinal number, as in 第六 "sixth")), 等 (děng, to wait for), 笑 (xiào, to laugh).
Definitions
- letter
- note-paper
Etymology & Origin
Stroke Order
Practice writing 笺 with real-time feedback — trace each stroke in the correct order and build muscle memory in the HanziFeed app.
Words & Compounds
Common Compounds
笺 appears in 3 compound words: 33 as the first character, 67 as the last, and 0 in a middle position. Compound statistics computed from SUBTLEX-CH and HSK 3.0 vocabulary data.
Example Sentences
一张张泛黄单薄的纸笺,写尽游子思念与牵挂,牢牢维系着海外侨胞与故土亲人的血脉亲情。
yī zhāng zhāng fàn huáng dān báo de zhǐ jiān , xiě jǐn yóu zǐ sī niàn yǔ qiān guà , láo láo wéi xì zhe hǎi wài qiáo bāo yǔ gù tǔ qīn rén de xiě mài qīn qíng .
Each yellowed, thin sheet of paper is imbued with the longing and concern of those living far from home, firmly binding the blood ties between overseas Chinese and their loved ones back home.
束景南遗着《阳明诗赋编年笺证》在沪首发
shù jǐng nán yí zhe yáng míng shī fù biān nián jiān zhèng zài hù shǒu fā
Shu Jingnan’s Posthumous Work, *Chronological Annotated Edition of Yangming’s Poetry and Prose*, Debuts in Shanghai
活动期间每日心愿互动享三倍好感度,更有活动专属配饰、对影行游笺等丰富奖励。
huó dòng qī jiān měi rì xīn yuàn hù dòng xiǎng sān bèi hǎo gǎn dù , gèng yǒu huó dòng zhuān shǔ pèi shì , duì yǐng xíng yóu jiān děng fēng fù jiǎng lì .
During the event, you'll earn triple affection points for daily "Wish" interactions, plus a variety of rewards, including event-exclusive accessories and "Walking in the Shadows" travel notes.
【文化雪域】布达拉宫旁,一纸信笺往来山海
wén huà xuě yù bù dá lā gōng páng , yī zhǐ xìn jiān wǎng lái shān hǎi
[Cultural Snowlands] Next to the Potala Palace, a Letter Travels Between Mountains and Seas
最特别的一幅,被写在明代项元汴收藏过的宋笺上,笺上钤有项氏鉴藏印。
zuì tè bié de yī fú , bèi xiě zài míng dài xiàng yuán 汴 shōu zàng guò de sòng jiān shàng , jiān shàng 钤 yǒu xiàng shì jiàn zàng yìn .
The most remarkable piece is written on a Song-dynasty note once collected by Xiang Yuanbian of the Ming Dynasty; the note bears the Xiang family’s collector’s seal.
Character Family
Semantic Family — Characters sharing the ⺮ (bamboo) component
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 笺 (jiān) mean in Chinese?
What's the difference between 笺 and 线?
How many strokes does 笺 have?
What is the radical of 笺?
What are the components of 笺?
What are common words containing 笺?
Is 笺 the same in simplified and traditional Chinese?
Practice writing 笺 with real-time feedback
Trace stroke sequences, hear spoken pronunciation, and build lasting retention with spaced repetition in the HanziFeed app.