How to Write 剑 (jiàn) — Meaning “Sword”

Imagine a "jian" (sword) that can cut through "all" (佥) things because it has a sharp blade (刂). Another trick: Think of the left part as a person (人) with a horizontal line (一) and a mouth (口) — a warrior shouting as he swings his sword.

Write the left component 佥 first: start with the 'person' radical (撇捺), then two horizontals, a 'mouth' shape, and a final horizontal. The right radical 刂 has two strokes: a vertical hook and a short left-falling stroke. Common mistakes include making the left side too wide or the vertical hook too curved.

All three share the radical 刂 (knife), but their left parts differ: 剑 has 佥 (sword), 删 has 册 (book, meaning to delete), and 判 has 半 (half, meaning to judge). Visually, 剑's left side has a 'person' shape at the top, while 删 looks like stacked bamboo slips and 判 has a split shape.

剑 appears in words like 击剑 (fencing) and 宝剑 (precious sword). It is often used in martial arts and historical contexts. Culturally, the sword symbolizes nobility and honor in Chinese tradition, and it appears in idioms such as 剑拔弩张 (tense situation, literally "swords drawn and bows stretched").

Common words containing 剑 include: 击剑 (jī jiàn) — fencing; 宝剑 (bǎo jiàn) — Precious sword; 剑法 (jiàn fǎ) — Swordplay / Swordsmanship.