How to Write 竣 (jùn) — Meaning “To complete; to finish”

Imagine you are standing (立) at the finish line of a marathon at dusk (夋 resembles the sun setting). When the sun sets, the race is 竣 (complete) — you have finished running. The visual of standing at sunset helps link the character to the meaning of completion.

The left radical 立 must be written narrower than usual, with its final horizontal stroke short so the right side 夋 can fit. Note that the top part of 夋 is 允, which has a slanted hook — do not turn it into a straight stroke. Many learners make the whole character too wide; keep it balanced by compressing the left side.

竣 means 'to complete a project' (e.g., 竣工), while 竘 (rare, qǔ) means 'craftsman' or 'skillful' and is almost never used today. 站 (zhàn) means 'to stand' or 'a station,' and uses the same radical 立 but is completely different in meaning and pronunciation. Unlike 站, 竣 always implies finishing work, not standing.

竣 appears almost exclusively in formal or written language, especially in announcements like 工程已竣工 ('the project has been completed'). It is not used in everyday conversation — people say 完成 instead. Culturally, 竣工 often appears on signs at construction sites to mark the official handover, symbolizing effort and achievement.

Common words containing 竣 include: 竣工 (jùn gōng) — To complete a project; 完竣 (wán jùn) — To complete (a project); 竣事 (jùn shì) — To complete a task; to finish.