健 (jiàn) is a Chinese character meaning “healthy”. It is written from 亻 (person (the form 人 takes on the left)) and 建 (to build; to establish), side by side, and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “healthy; strong”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
亻 + 建
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字: 健，伉也。从人建声。IDS ⿰亻建，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：健 共 10 笔 = 亻 2 笔 + 建 8 笔
Memory aid
A person (亻) who can build (建) things with their own hands has to be strong — 健 means healthy and strong.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 健康jiàn kānghealth; healthy健 = jiàn
- 健身jiàn shēnto work out; fitness健 = jiàn
- 矫健jiǎo jiànstrong and vigorous; agile健 = jiàn
Go deeper
All readings
healthy; strong
healthy; strong; vigorous; to strengthen; to be good at
身体强壮、有力；使强壮；也指善于、在某方面强（如「健谈」）。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 健康jiàn kānghealth; healthy健 = jiàn
- 健身jiàn shēnto work out; fitness健 = jiàn
- 矫健jiǎo jiànstrong and vigorous; agile健 = jiàn
Easy to confuse with
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 健 mean?
健 (jiàn) means healthy; strong; vigorous; to strengthen; to be good at.
How do you pronounce 健?
It is pronounced jiàn.
What parts is 健 made of?
亻 (person (the form 人 takes on the left)) and 建 (to build; to establish), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 健，伉也。从人建声。IDS ⿰亻建，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：健 共 10 笔 = 亻 2 笔 + 建 8 笔. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 健 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 健?
人. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 健?
Common ones are 健康 and 健身. The reading of 健 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.