How to Write 监 (jiān/jiàn) — Meaning “to supervise / prison”

Q: What is a good memory trick to remember how to write or recognize 监?

Imagine a supervisor (监) standing over a dish (皿) to inspect it. The top part looks like a person with one eye (the vertical stroke) looking down at the dish below.

Q: What are key writing tips for 监, and what common mistakes should I avoid?

The top part has five strokes: start with a vertical stroke, then a left-falling stroke, horizontal, vertical, horizontal. A common mistake is writing the top part as three strokes instead of five, or forgetting the second horizontal stroke before the 皿.

Q: How is 监 different from similar characters like 盂?

监 has a complex top part (5 strokes) that looks like a simplified 'minister', while 盂 has a simple top part '于' meaning 'in' or 'at'. 监 means supervision or prison, whereas 盂 means a bowl or vessel, so they are used in very different contexts.

Q: In what situations is 监 used in modern Chinese, and is there any cultural significance?

监 appears in words like 监督 (supervise), 监考 (proctor an exam), and 监狱 (prison). Historically, 太监 (eunuch) refers to court officials in imperial China who served in the palace, reflecting the character's connection to oversight and confinement.

Q: What common words use 监?

Common words containing 监 include: 监督 (jiān dū) — to supervise / supervision; 监考 (jiān kǎo) — Proctor an exam; 太监 (tài jiàn) — Eunuch..

jiān/jiàn HSK Level 6 10 strokes Radical: 皿

监 (jiān/jiàn) means "to supervise / prison" in Chinese. It has 10 strokes with the radical 皿, and is HSK Level 6.

Rated 4.2/5 in difficulty (advanced).

Harder than 79% of HSK Level 6 characters.

Appears in 4+ common words including 监督 (jiān dū), 监考 (jiān kǎo), 太监 (tài jiàn).

Due to its 10 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 监 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Practice Writing 监 (jiān/jiàn)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 监 with real-time feedback.

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How to Write 监

The character 监 (jiān/jiàn) is written with 10 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 皿 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

What Does jiān/jiàn (监) Mean in Chinese?

监 means to supervise / prison.

This is a polyphonic character with readings: jiān, jiàn.

As an HSK Level 6 character, 监 is an intermediate-level character.

Character Data

Character	监
Pinyin	jiān / jiàn (jian)
Meaning	to supervise / prison
Strokes	10
Radical	皿
HSK Level	6
Difficulty	4.2/5

Origin of 监

The character 监 originally depicted a person kneeling with an eye over a basin of water, representing looking at one's reflection. This meaning evolved to 'supervise' (watching over) and later 'prison' (a place under supervision). The radical 皿 (basin) provides the lower container shape, while the upper component derives from a person and an eye.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture a prison guard with one big eye (the top dot and slash) leaning over to supervise a bowl of food (皿) inside a cell.

Common Words with 监

监督 jiān dū

to supervise / supervision

监考 jiān kǎo

Proctor an exam

太监 tài jiàn

Eunuch.

国子监 guó zǐ jiàn

The Imperial Academy (the highest educational institution in ancient China).

Example Sentences

只有加强公众监督，才能确保食品安全。

zhǐ yǒu jiā qiáng gōng zhòng jiān dū cái néng què bǎo shí pǐn ān quán

Only by strengthening public supervision can food safety be ensured.

老师正在教室里认真地进行期末考试监考。

lǎo shī zhèng zài jiào shì lǐ rèn zhēn dì jìn xíng qī mò kǎo shì jiān kǎo

The teacher is conscientiously proctoring the final exam in the classroom.

在古代封建宫廷里，太监负责服侍皇族生活。

zài gǔ dài fēng jiàn gōng tíng lǐ tài jiàn fù zé fú shì huáng zú shēng huó

In ancient feudal courts, eunuchs were responsible for serving the royal family's daily life.

国子监是中国古代的最高学府及教育管理机构。

guó zǐ jiàn shì zhōng guó gǔ dài de zuì gāo xué fǔ jí jiào yù guǎn lǐ jī gòu

The Imperial Academy was the highest institution of learning and educational administration in ancient China.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Radical
监 (current)	jiān / jiàn	10	皿
㿽	xī	9	皿
盂	yú	8	皿
盅	zhōng	9	皿

Practice Writing 监 (jiān/jiàn)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 监 with real-time feedback.

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Frequently Asked Questions about 监

How is the character 监 structured, and how do its parts relate to its meaning?

监 is composed of a top part that resembles a simplified form of '臣' (minister or eye) and the bottom radical 皿 (dish/vessel). Together, they represent the idea of watching over a container, which relates to supervision. The same structure also conveys the concept of a prison, a place where people are watched.

What is a good memory trick to remember how to write or recognize 监?

What are key writing tips for 监, and what common mistakes should I avoid?

How is 监 different from similar characters like 盂?

In what situations is 监 used in modern Chinese, and is there any cultural significance?

What common words use 监?

How to Write 监 (jiān/jiàn) — Meaning “to supervise / prison”

Practice Writing 监 (jiān/jiàn)

How to Write 监

What Does jiān/jiàn (监) Mean in Chinese?

Character Data

Origin of 监

Common Words with 监

Example Sentences

Similar Characters Comparison

Practice Writing 监 (jiān/jiàn)

Frequently Asked Questions about 监

More HSK Level 6 Characters

Characters with Radical 皿

Other 10-Stroke Characters