限 (xiàn): to limit, to restrict, (bound form) limit
限 (xiàn) is a Chinese character meaning “to limit.” Classified as HSK Level 5 (HSK 3.0 Standard, CLEC 2022), it is composed of 阝 (semantic) and 艮 (phonetic). It ranks #613 in character frequency (SUBTLEX-CH corpus).
Etymologically derived, 限 place. Its radical form 阝 (mound) appears in many related characters such as 那 (nà, (specifier) that), 都 (dōu, all), 院 (yuàn, courtyard).
Definitions
- to limit
- to restrict
- (bound form) limit
Etymology & Origin
Stroke Order
Practice writing 限 with real-time feedback — trace each stroke in the correct order and build muscle memory in the HanziFeed app.
Words & Compounds
HSK Vocabulary with 限
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | HSK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 限制verb/noun | xiàn zhì | to restrict | 5 |
| 无限adjective | wú xiàn | unlimited | 5 |
| 有限adjective | yǒu xiàn | limited | 5 |
| 期限noun | qī xiàn | time limit | 6 |
| 限度noun | xiàn dù | limitation | 6 |
| 限于verb | xiàn yú | to be limited to | 6 |
| 局限verb | jú xiàn | variant of 局限[ju2 xian4] | 6 |
Common Compounds
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 极限 | jí xiàn | limit |
| 权限 | quán xiàn | scope of authority |
| 界限 | jiè xiàn | boundary |
| 有限公司 | yǒu xiàn gōng sī | limited company |
| 时限 | shí xiàn | time limit |
| 无限期 | wú xiàn qī | indefinitely |
| 上限 | shàng xiàn | upper bound |
| 限速 | xiàn sù | speed limit |
| 限定 | xiàn dìng | to restrict to |
| 宽限 | kuān xiàn | to extend (a deadline etc) |
| 限额 | xiàn é | quota |
| 象限 | xiàng xiàn | (math.) quadrant (of the coordinate plane) |
| 限期 | xiàn qī | to set a time limit |
| 年限 | nián xiàn | age limit |
| 底限 | dǐ xiàn | lowest limit |
限 appears in 81 compound words: 25 as the first character, 36 as the last, and 40 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 限 in natural Chinese text, ranked by NPMI (Normalized Pointwise Mutual Information) — a statistical measure of association strength.
Idioms & Chengyu (4)
Example Sentences
限字在日常生活中使用频率中等。
xiàn zì zài rì cháng shēng huó zhōng shǐ yòng pín lǜ zhōng děng .
The character "限" has moderate frequency of use in daily life.
...刮刮乐送“小强标本”引热议 台北动物园:限量纪念品
. . . guā guā lè sòng xiǎo qiáng biāo běn yǐn rè yì tái běi dòng wù yuán : xiàn liàng jì niàn pǐn
... Scratch off "Xiaoqiang specimen" sparked heated discussions Taipei Zoo: limited souvenirs
...V 老客户复购价:13.88 万元,全国限量 1000 台
. . . V lǎo kè hù fù gòu jià : 1 3 . 8 8 wàn yuán , quán guó xiàn liàng 1 0 0 0 tái
... V Repurchase price for old customers: 138,800 yuan, limited to 1,000 units nationwide
兴业证券:美关税判决是行政权受限带来的长期叙事变化 关注税率下降对A股出...
xīng yè zhèng quàn : měi guān shuì pàn jué shì háng zhèng quán shòu xiàn dài lái de cháng qī xù shì biàn huà guān zhù shuì lǜ xià jiàng duì A gǔ chū . . .
Industrial Securities: The U.S. tariff judgment is a long-term narrative change brought about by the restriction of administrative power.
一环内禁燃!云岩区春节期间烟花爆竹禁限放区域、时间..
yī huán nèi jīn rán ! yún yán qū chūn jié qī jiān yān huā bào zhú jīn xiàn fàng qū yù , shí jiān . .
No combustion in the first ring! During the Spring Festival in Yunyan District, fireworks and firecrackers are prohibited and restricted:
宇宙毫无疑问是无限的。
Yǔzhòu háowúyíwèn shì wúxiàn de.
There's no doubt: the universe is infinite.
对严格限制经济的批评蜂拥而来。
Duì yángé xiànzhì jīngjì de pīpíng fēngyōng ér lái.
Critics are coming down hard on tightened economic restrictions.
汤姆前途无可限量。
Tāngmǔ qiántú wúkě xiàn liáng.
Tom has a brilliant future.
怎么用路由器限制网速？
Zěnme yòng lùyóuqì xiànzhì wǎng sù?
How can a router be used to limit network speed?
这个签证的有效期限是多久?
Zhège qiānzhèng de yǒuxiàoqī xiàn shì duōjiǔ?
How long is this visa good for?
Character Family
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 限 (xiàn) mean in Chinese?
What's the difference between 限 and 根?
How many strokes does 限 have?
What is the radical of 限?
What are the components of 限?
What are common words containing 限?
Is 限 the same in simplified and traditional Chinese?
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