How to Write 笺 (jiān) — Meaning “Stationery / Letter paper”

Imagine a small bamboo slip (竹) with a tiny stamp (戋 looks like two small marks or a stamp) on it — that is your memo pad. The '戋' part can remind you of 'jiān' sound, like 'Jean' writing a note.

Start with the bamboo radical 竹 (two short strokes then long horizontal, then two dots) — keep it narrow. The lower part 戋 has a left-falling stroke that extends slightly left, then a horizontal hook, and two small strokes — avoid making it too wide or tall.

笺 (jiān) means stationery or letter paper, while 竽 (yú) is a bamboo musical instrument and 竿 (gān) is a bamboo pole or rod. Visually, 笺 has 戋 below, 竽 has 于 (yú), and 竿 has 干 (gān) — so look at the bottom part to tell them apart.

笺 is used in words like 便笺 (biàn jiān, memo/scratchpad) and 信笺 (xìn jiān, letter paper). It often appears in formal or written contexts, such as stationery supplies or note-taking. While not common in daily speech, it is still used in writing and office settings.

Common words containing 笺 include: 便笺 (biàn jiān) — Note / Memo / Scratchpad; 信笺 (xìn jiān) — letter paper; stationery; 笺纸 (jiān zhǐ) — Writing paper.