闲 (xián): idle, free
闲 (xián) is a Chinese character meaning “idle, free.” Classified as HSK Level 5 (HSK 3.0 Standard, CLEC 2022), it is composed of 门 (structural) and 木 (structural). It ranks #1519 in character frequency (SUBTLEX-CH corpus).
Etymologically derived, 闲 a wooden fence 木 with a door 门. Its radical form 门 (gate) appears in many related characters such as 门 (mén, door, gate), 间 (jiān, room, between), 闪 (shǎn, to flash, to dodge).
Definitions
- idle, free
Etymology & Origin
ideographicA wooden fence 木 with a door 门
Decomposition: ⿵门木 (layout: surround-from-top)
Stroke Order
Practice writing 闲 with real-time feedback — trace each stroke in the correct order and build muscle memory in the HanziFeed app.
Words & Compounds
HSK Vocabulary with 闲
Common Compounds
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 管闲事verb | guǎn xián shì | to meddle |
| 闲逛verb | xián guàng | to stroll |
| 闲聊verb | xián liáo | to chat |
| 多管闲事phrase | duō guǎn xián shì | meddling in other people's business |
| 游手好闲phrase | yóu shǒu hào xián | to idle about |
| 闲话verb | xián huà | casual conversation |
| 悠闲adjective | yōu xián | leisurely |
| 闲人noun | xián rén | variant of 閒人|闲人 |
| 闲事noun | xián shì | other people's business |
| 闲谈verb | xián tán | variant of 閒談|闲谈 |
| 说闲话 | shuō xián huà | to chat |
| 清闲adjective | qīng xián | idle |
| 闲扯verb | xián chě | to chat |
| 闲暇noun | xián xiá | leisure |
| 闲置verb | xián zhì | to leave unused |
闲 appears in 74 compound words: 54 as the first character, 26 as the last, and 20 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 闲 in natural Chinese text, ranked by NPMI (Normalized Pointwise Mutual Information) — a statistical measure of association strength.
Idioms & Chengyu (12)
to bother and interfere others' business; to have an oar in someone's boat; to meddle in others' business
(idiom) to snatch a moment of leisure in the midst of a busy schedule
to bother and interfere others' business; to have an oar in someone's boat; to meddle in others' business
Example Sentences
周末我很闲，可以陪你出去走走。
Zhōumò wǒ hěn xián, kěyǐ péi nǐ chūqu zǒuzou.
I'm free on weekends; I can accompany you for a walk.
工作太悠闲反而有压力?高薪却因无事做想辞职 网友:...
gōng zuò tài yōu xián fǎn ér yǒu yā lì ? gāo xīn què yīn wú shì zuò xiǎng cí zhí wǎng yǒu : . . .
Is work too leisurely but stressful? High salary but want to quit because there is nothing to do Netizens:
...HK):Clarks拟今年推出更多运动休闲及性能产品系列
. . . H K ) : C l a r k s nǐ jīn nián tuī chū gēng duō yùn dòng xiū xián jí xìng néng chǎn pǐn xì liè
... HK): Clarks plans to launch more athleisure and performance product lines this year
广角镜/桃园鲁冰花季 大北坑休闲农业区登场
guǎng jiǎo jìng táo yuán lǔ bīng huā jì dà běi kēng xiū xián nóng yè qū dēng chǎng
Wide-angle lens/Taoyuan Lubing Flower Season Dabeikeng Leisure Agricultural Area debuted
馆外休闲园区 让民众走入艺术里
guǎn wài xiū xián yuán qū ràng mín zhòng zǒu rù yì shù lǐ
The leisure park outside the museum allows the public to enter into art
注入运动机能的都市休闲服 9m88柯炜林演绎科技布料的日常穿搭
zhù rù yùn dòng jī néng de dōu shì xiū xián fú 柯 炜 lín yǎn yì kē jì bù liào de rì cháng chuān dā
Urban Casual Wear Infused with Athletic Functionality 9m88 Ke Weilin Showcases Everyday Styling with Technical Fabrics
汤姆总是多管闲事。
Tāngmǔ zǒngshì duōguǎnxiánshì.
Tom always meddles in affairs that do not concern him.
汤姆，抱歉，我没时间闲聊。
Tāngmǔ, bàoqiàn, wǒ méi shíjiān xiánliáo.
Sorry, Tom, I don't have time to chat.
您空闲时间喜欢做什么？
Nín kòngxián shíjiān xǐhuan zuò shénme?
What do you like to do in your free time?
中国有什么闲暇吗？
Zhōngguó yǒu shénme xiánxiá ma?
Is there any leisure in China?
Character Family
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 闲 (xián) mean in Chinese?
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What is the radical of 闲?
What are the components of 闲?
What are common words containing 闲?
What characters sound the same as 闲 (xián)?
Is 闲 the same in simplified and traditional Chinese?
Practice writing 闲 with real-time feedback
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