How to Write 柬 (jiǎn) — Meaning “note or card”

Imagine you are writing a note to remind yourself to pick up a bundle (束) of wood (木). The visual of tying a piece of paper to a wooden stick helps you recall that 柬 means a note or card.

Start with the horizontal stroke, then the vertical, followed by the horizontal and the rest of the top part like 束, but make sure the bottom part is a complete 木 with a horizontal stroke and two diagonal strokes. A common mistake is to mix up the order of the strokes in the top bundle part or to make the bottom 木 too narrow.

柬 (jiǎn) means a note or card, while 杆 (gǎn) means a pole or rod and 杈 (chà) means a fork in a tree or a pitchfork. Visually, 柬 has a complex top structure, whereas 杆 is a simple combination of 木 and 干, and 杈 is 木 plus 叉.

柬 is most commonly seen in 请柬 (invitation card) for formal events like weddings or banquets, and in 柬埔寨 (Cambodia). It is not used in everyday HSK vocabulary but appears in refined or ceremonial contexts, often printed on elegant cardstock.

Common words containing 柬 include: 请柬 (qǐng jiǎn) — Invitation card; 柬埔寨 (jiǎn pǔ zhài) — Cambodia; 贺柬 (hè jiǎn) — Congratulatory card.