jiàn

build; construct; erect; establish; set up; found

HSK Level 3

Example Sentences

我在建一栋房子。

Wǒ zài jiàn yī dòng fángzi.

I am building a house.

这个建筑很漂亮。

Zhège jiànzhù hěn piàoliang.

This building is very beautiful.

我正在建设我的事业。

Wǒ zhèngzài jiànshè wǒ de shìyè.

I am building my career.

Synonyms

Antonyms

(chāi)

demolish

(huǐ)

destroy

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Etymology & Components

The Chinese character 建 (jiàn) is composed of two parts: 木 (mù) and 斤 (jīn). 木 represents a tree, while 斤 is a pictograph of an axe. Together, they form the character 建, which originally meant "to build" or "to construct".The character 建 has been used in Chinese for thousands of years, and its meaning has evolved over time. In addition to its original meaning of "to build", it can also mean "to establish", "to found", or "to create". It is also used in the names of many Chinese cities, such as Beijing (北京), Nanjing (南京), and Shanghai (上海).The character 建 is a common character in Chinese, and it is used in a wide variety of contexts. It is an important character to learn for HSK learners, as it is essential for understanding many Chinese words and phrases.