Dictionary🇨🇳 Chinese → 🇺🇸 English
簡
jiǎn
Description
“简”这个字有“简单”的意思，也可以指古时候写字用的竹片。
The character “简” means “simple” and can also refer to bamboo slips used for writing in ancient times.
我们常常在“简单”“简短”这样的词里看到它。
We often see it in words like “简单” (simple) and “简短” (brief).
Meanings
简jiǎn
simple; not complicated
这个方法很简。
This method is simple.
简jiǎn
to make brief; to abridge
他把文章简了很多。
He shortened the article a lot.
竹简zhújiǎn
bamboo slip used for ancient writing
古人在竹简上写字。
Ancient people wrote characters on bamboo slips.
Related words
Notes
- Etymology
originally a bamboo writing slip (竹字头), later meaning 'simple' or 'concise'.
- Nuance
rarely used alone in modern Chinese; mostly appears in compounds like 简单.
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