艰 (jiān) - Meaning, Stroke Order, Words & Examples

Q: What does 艰 (jiān) mean in Chinese?

The Chinese character 艰 (jiān) means "difficult; hard". It is an HSK Level 5 character, with 8 strokes and the radical 艮.

Q: How do you write 艰 stroke by stroke?

艰 has 8 strokes. The radical is 艮. Follow the standard stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. Practice with stroke animation to build muscle memory.

Q: What's the difference between 艰 and 艮?

艰 (jiān) and 艮 look similar but differ in meaning and usage. Check the radical and stroke count to tell them apart.

Q: What mistakes do learners make writing 艰?

Common mistake: incorrect stroke order or miswriting the radical 艮. Pay attention to the proportion between components — keep the radical compact.

Q: What common words use 艰?

Common words containing 艰 include: 艰难 (jiān nán) — difficult; hard; hardship; 艰苦 (jiān kǔ) — difficult; tough; arduous; 艰巨 (jiān jù) — arduous; formidable.

How to Write 艰

The character 艰 (jiān) is written with 8 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 艮 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.

Meaning & Pronunciation

艰 is pronounced jiān in Mandarin Chinese. It means difficult; hard.

As an HSK Level 5 character, 艰 is an intermediate-level character.

Common Words with 艰

艰难 jiān nán

difficult; hard; hardship

艰苦 jiān kǔ

difficult; tough; arduous

艰巨 jiān jù

arduous; formidable

Example Sentences

生活虽然很艰难。

shēng huó suī rán hěn jiān nán

Although life is very difficult.

他的生活很艰苦。

tā de shēng huó hěn jiān kǔ

His life is very hard.

这是一个艰巨的任务。

zhè shì yí gè jiān jù de rèn wù

This is an arduous task.

Similar Characters

艮 gěn

良 liáng

Practice Writing 艰 (jiān)

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

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Frequently Asked Questions about 艰

What does 艰 (jiān) mean in Chinese?

How do you write 艰 stroke by stroke?

What's the difference between 艰 and 艮?

What mistakes do learners make writing 艰?

What common words use 艰?

How to Write 艰 (jiān)