兼 (jiān): double, twice, simultaneous
兼 (jiān) is a Chinese character meaning “double.” Classified as HSK Level 6 (HSK 3.0 Standard, CLEC 2022), it is composed of 丷 (structural). It ranks #1505 in character frequency (SUBTLEX-CH corpus).
Etymologically derived, 兼 a hand holding two sheafs of grain 禾. Its radical form 八 (eight) appears in many related characters such as 八 (bā, eight), 六 (liù, six), 关 (guān, mountain pass).
Definitions
- double
- twice
- simultaneous
Etymology & Origin
ideographicA hand holding two sheafs of grain 禾
Decomposition: ⿱丷⿱彐⿰禾禾 (layout: top-bottom)
Stroke Order
Practice writing 兼 with real-time feedback — trace each stroke in the correct order and build muscle memory in the HanziFeed app.
Words & Compounds
HSK Vocabulary with 兼
Common Compounds
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 兼顾 | jiān gù | to handle two or more responsibilities at the same time |
| 兼容 | jiān róng | compatible |
| 兼并 | jiān bìng | to annex |
| 兼具 | jiān jù | to combine |
| 兼有 | jiān yǒu | to combine |
| 兼备 | jiān bèi | have both |
| 兼而有之 | jiān ér yǒu zhī | to have both (at the same time) |
| 兼任 | jiān rèn | to hold a concurrent post |
| 软硬兼施 | ruǎn yìng jiān shī | use both carrot and stick |
| 品学兼优 | pǐn xué jiān yōu | excelling both in morals and studies (idiom) |
| 兼营 | jiān yíng | a second job |
| 兼容并包 | jiān róng bìng bāo | to include and monopolize many things |
| 日夜兼程 | rì yè jiān chéng | to travel day and night |
| 不兼容性 | bù jiān róng xìng | incompatibility |
| 兼济天下 | jiān jì tiān xià | (idiom) to make everyone's lives better |
兼 appears in 39 compound words: 62 as the first character, 3 as the last, and 36 in a middle position. Compound statistics computed from SUBTLEX-CH and HSK 3.0 vocabulary data.
Strongest Collocations
Characters that most frequently co-occur with 兼 in natural Chinese text, ranked by NPMI (Normalized Pointwise Mutual Information) — a statistical measure of association strength.
Idioms & Chengyu (10)
to excel both ethically and academically; to be an exemplar of virtue and scholarship
to excel both ethically and academically; to be an exemplar of virtue and scholarship
Example Sentences
兼字虽然难写，但意思很有趣。
jiān zì suī rán nán xiě , dàn yì sī hěn yǒu qù .
The character "兼" may be difficult to write, but its meaning is quite interesting.
...美股陷低迷见红 靠“呢个玩法”逆市保平安兼稳赚
. . . měi gǔ xiàn dī mí jiàn hóng kào ne gè wán fǎ nì shì bǎo píng ān jiān wěn zhuàn
... U.S. stocks are in a downturn and are in the red, relying on "this way of playing" to go against the market to ensure safety and make steady profits
...价 游客百元入住大理医院住宿中心:设施新兼免费泊车
. . . jià yóu kè bǎi yuán rù zhù dà lǐ yī yuàn zhù sù zhōng xīn : shè shī xīn jiān miǎn fèi bó chē
... Price 100 yuan for tourists to stay in Dali Hospital Accommodation Center: new facilities and free parking
调查:近8成外佣被剥削 苦主被殴兼扣薪 泣诉待遇“畜生不如”
diào chá : jìn 8 chéng wài yòng bèi bāo xiāo kǔ zhǔ bèi ōu jiān kòu xīn qì sù dài yù chù shēng bù rú
Survey: Nearly 80% of foreign domestic helpers are exploited, sufferers are beaten and deducted wages, crying that the treatment is "worse than beasts"
博通推出业界首款 6G 兼容 DFE 数字前端 SoC 芯片 Br...
bó tōng tuī chū yè jiè shǒu kuǎn 6 G jiān róng D F E shǔ zì qián duān S o C xīn piàn B r . . .
Broadcom Launches Industry's First 6G-Compatible DFE Digital Front-End SoC Chip Br...
对话28岁兼职“面子特派员”:跑腿代看留守老人送温....
duì huà 2 8 suì jiān zhí miàn zǐ tè pài yuán : pǎo tuǐ dài kàn liú shǒu lǎo rén sòng wēn . . . .
Dialogue with the 28-year-old part-time "face commissioner": running errands to take care of the left-behind elderly to send warmth....
鱼与熊掌不可兼得。
Yúyǔxióngzhǎngbùkějiāndé.
You cannot eat your cake and keep it.
这个诗人兼学者死了。
Zhège shīrén jiān xuézhě sǐ le.
The poet and scholar is dead.
他在公司里身兼要职。
Tā zài gōngsī lǐ shēnjiān yàozhí.
He holds an important position in the company.
我正在找一份兼职的工作。
Wǒ zhèngzài zhǎo yī fèn jiānzhí de gōngzuò.
I'm looking for a part-time job.
Character Family
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 兼 (jiān) mean in Chinese?
How many strokes does 兼 have?
What is the radical of 兼?
What are the components of 兼?
What are common words containing 兼?
What characters sound the same as 兼 (jiān)?
Is 兼 the same in simplified and traditional Chinese?
Practice writing 兼 with real-time feedback
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