闲 xián fence
fence; guard; idle time; leisure
How to remember 闲: 门 door + 木 tree = fence. When the old door of the barn breaks, grandpa drags a young tree across it as a fence against the goats.
Component breakdown
闲 = 门 door + 木 tree
- 门 door
- 木 tree
When the old door of the barn breaks, grandpa drags a young tree across it as a fence against the goats.
How it is used
- Functions as a plain stative adjective: 我今天很闲 (wǒ jīntiān hěn xián) - "I'm free today."
- 空闲 kòngxián and 休闲 xiūxián both translate as "leisure" but 空闲 is about having free time (空闲时间 "free time"), while 休闲 describes a relaxed lifestyle or casual style (休闲服 "casual clothes").
- 闲话 xiánhuà is idle chit-chat or gossip, and 闲置 xiánzhì describes property or equipment sitting unused.