间 jiān room
room; between; space; measure word for rooms
How to remember 间: 门 door + 日 sun = room. A student unlocks the rusty door of her new flat, the sun floods in, and she finally sees her own room.
Component breakdown
间 = 门 door + 日 sun
- 门 door
- 日 sun
A student unlocks the rusty door of her new flat, the sun floods in, and she finally sees her own room.
How it came to be
A double gate with the moon showing between the two leaves. The moon proves there is a gap: the character is about the space between things, and a space between walls is a room.
How it is used
- 'Between / space' - 中间 (zhōngjiān) in the middle, 之间 (zhījiān) between, 时间 (shíjiān) time (lit. the space of time).
- As a concrete noun it's a room: 房间 (fángjiān) room, 洗手间 (xǐshǒujiān) restroom; it's also the measure word for rooms - 一间房 (yì jiān fáng).
- In this room-sense the tone is jiān; only the rarer verb 'to space/separate' takes jiàn.
Characters built with 间
Words with 间
- 时间shíjiāntimeHSK 1
- 房间fángjiānroomHSK 1
- 洗手间xǐshǒujiāntoiletHSK 2
- 卫生间wèishēngjiānrestroomHSK 3
- 中间zhōngjiāncenterHSK 3
- 之间zhījiānbetweenHSK 4
- 时间表shíjiānbiǎoscheduleHSK 4
- 夜间yèjiānnighttimeHSK 5
- 期间qījiānperiod of timeHSK 5
- 空间kōngjiānspaceHSK 5
- 其间qíjiānin betweenHSK 6
- 民间mínjiānamong the peopleHSK 6
- 瞬间shùnjiānin an instantHSK 6
- 间接jiànjiēindirectHSK 6
- 间隔jiàngégapHSK 6
- 世间shìjiānworldHSK 7
- 人间rénjiānthe human worldHSK 7
- 区间qūjiāndelimited areaHSK 7
- 空间站kōngjiānzhànspace stationHSK 7
- 车间chējiānworkshopHSK 7
- 间断jiànduàndisconnectedHSK 7
- 田间tiánjiānfieldHSK 9
- 间歇jiànxiēto stop in the middle of somethingHSK 9
- 间谍jiàndiéspyHSK 9
- 间隙jiànxìintervalHSK 9
Example sentences
- 这间屋子朝西。 Zhè jiān wūzi cháo xī.This room faces west.
- 这间宾馆非常豪华。 Zhè jiān bīnguǎn fēicháng háohuá.This hotel is very luxurious.
- 她在中间。 Tā zài zhōngjiān.She's in the middle.
- 房间里有火。 Fángjiān li yǒu huǒ.There's a fire in the room.