How to Write 件 (jiàn) — Meaning “item / piece (measure word)”

Imagine a person (亻) standing next to a cow (牛) — that's "one item" of property. Or think of counting a piece of clothing: a person (亻) wearing a cow-print shirt (牛) is "one item" (一件).

Write the left radical 亻 first (a left-slanting stroke then a vertical stroke), then the right side 牛: two horizontal strokes, a vertical stroke through them, and a final bottom horizontal. A common mistake is making the vertical stroke of 牛 too short or not crossing both horizontals clearly.

件 has 牛 (cow) on the right, while 什 has 十 (ten) and 仁 has 二 (two). Visually, 件 looks like a person next to a cow shape, 什 is a person next to a cross, and 仁 is a person next to two lines. Their meanings are completely different: 件 is a measure word, 什 means "what" or "ten", and 仁 means "benevolence".

件 is a versatile measure word for items like clothes (一件衬衫) or matters (一件事). It also appears in common words like 文件 (document) and 条件 (condition). You’ll use it when counting discrete objects or discussing requirements in everyday life and business contexts.

Common words containing 件 include: 一件 (yī jiàn) — one piece (measure word for clothes, matters, etc.); 文件 (wén jiàn) — document; file; 条件 (tiáo jiàn) — condition; requirement.