简

简 · jiǎn

simple, terse, succinct, a letter

Entry ↗

Meanings & readings

Meaning & readings

simple, terse, succinct, a letter

Mandarin
jiǎn
Cantonese
gaan2

Unihan definitions and selected character readings. Read the word to establish its pronunciation in context.

Form & structure

Writing & identity

Unicode
U+7B80
Radical
竹 · 118
Strokes
13 · Unihan
Residual
7

Source record · Unihan 17.0. Individual senses and historical claims have not yet been reviewed by zimai.

Stroke order

13 strokes
简
Strokes
13
Convention
PRC · Make Me a Hanzi

13 strokes in writing order. Play to watch them, or Step through one at a time.

Modern stroke order; regional conventions can differ. Stroke medians: Make Me a Hanzi via HanziLookupJS, drawn as an even pen line.

Graphical structure

⿱𥫗间(G)
How to read these symbols

⿰ left–right · ⿱ above–below · ⿻ overlap. Dotted boxes indicate positions, not missing characters. Each symbol describes the components that follow it; nested symbols describe a component in more detail. Source codes identify alternative analyses, not a writing sequence or an etymology.

BabelStone IDS · 2025-06-27. Region tags are preserved; 〾 marks approximation and {n} identifies an unencoded source component. These describe graphical structure, not historical derivation.

Words & connections

Words using 简

Character connections

No reverse component match in this collection.

History & distinctions

Related forms

簡

Unihan traditional/simplified variant properties. Conversion may depend on context.

Sources & reference

Evidence & next depth

Source editions & exact scope ↗
Retained Unihan properties
kMandarin
jiǎn
kCantonese
gaan2
kDefinition
simple, terse, succinct, a letter
kTotalStrokes
13
kRSUnicode
118.7
kTraditionalVariant
U+7C21
kTGH
2013:2954

Readings across dictionaries

Xiandai Hanyu · 1983
jiǎn 0550.050
Small numbers locate dictionary entries; 粵 introduces Cantonese. Includes rare or historical readings. Source notation ↗

Reference desk

Sentences in context

Find examples using 简 ↗

The attributed sentence collection is still small; this spelling has no retained example yet.

Study this character

Structure & connections

0.10
90dictionary records using 简0forms using this shape0attributed sound links
⿱ Above / below

Shape description
𥫗 above 间 · the shape used in China
Source notation ^⿱𥫗间$(G)
BabelStone · 2025-06-27. Encoded shape and region tags; graphical analysis does not establish historical function.

Decompose & trace ↗Browse all 90 word records ↗Explore sound families ↗Component search ↗
Retained descriptions & scope

^⿱𥫗间$(G)

All alternatives are retained. Only the first description drives component search and graphical links. Counts describe this snapshot, not frequency. Evidence and method.