jiān
pointed; shrill; sharp; acute; point; tip; top
这座山很高，山顶很尖。
Zhè zuò shān hěn gāo, shān dǐng hěn jiān.
This mountain is very high, and the peak is very sharp.
这把刀很锋利，刀尖很尖。
Zhè bǎ dāo hěn fēng lì, dāo jiān hěn jiān.
This knife is very sharp, and the tip is very sharp.
他说话很尖酸刻薄，让人很不舒服。
Tā shuō huà hěn jiān suān kè bó, ràng rén hěn bù shū fu.
He speaks very sharply and sarcastically, which makes people very uncomfortable.
锐 (ruì)
sharp
尖锐 (jiānruì)
pointed
圆 (yuán)
round
钝 (dùn)
blunt
Track your progress, master characters, and achieve your Chinese language goals.
Get Started Free
The Chinese character 尖 (jiān) for "pointed" or "sharp" is composed of two parts: 彡 (mián) and 戈 (gē). 彡 represents hair or feathers, while 戈 is a weapon such as a spear or halberd. Together, they create the image of a sharp point, like the tip of a spear or the quill of a feather. This character is often used in words related to sharpness, such as 尖锐 (jiānrùi, "sharp") and 尖端 (jiānduān, "tip"). It can also be used in a figurative sense to describe something that is intense or extreme, such as 尖刻 (jiānkè, "harsh") or 尖峰时刻 (jiānfēng shíkè, "rush hour").
