DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

間

简间 · 繁間

Mandarin · pinyin jiān#

between
among
within a definite time or space
room
section of a room or lateral space between two pairs of pillars
classifier for rooms

Mandarin · pinyin jiàn#

gap
to separate
to thin out (seedlings)
to sow discontent

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Characters in this entry

間: Look up this written character
间: jiān · midpoint, space; place, locality

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

1 · jian1

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1character link69same-tone records

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

間 · find source passages ↗ · 间 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 21 senses · 3 Cantonese readings

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

gaan1 · gaan3 · haan4

Cantonese word readings for 間. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

character

within a definite time period or place
among; between
a moment; a little while; instant
room; chamber
section of a room; lateral space between two pairs of pillars
Classifier for smallest units of housing, such as rooms and shopfronts.
(chiefly Cantonese, Hokkien) Classifier for buildings in general, including schools, banks, cinemas, hospitals, shops, factories.
a surname

character

opening; gap; break
estrangement; alienation; hostility
spy; secret agent
to keep away from; to keep apart
to separate; to partition
to alternate; to do something alternately
to be mixed up with; to be intermingled
to sow discord
to blame; to reproach
intermittently; sometimes
in secret; clandestinely

character

(obsolete) Variant pronunciation of the classifier sense.
(obsolete) Used in place names.

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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