剑 (jiàn) is a Chinese character meaning “sword”. It is written from 佥 (all; everyone (classical); in 俭 it carries the sound) and 刂 (knife (side form)), side by side, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “sword”
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Structure
佥 + 刂
Left–right structure
- 佥 all; everyone (classical); in 俭 it carries the sound · qiān sound
- 刂 knife (side form) · dāo meaning
Structure from: 说文解字：劍，人所帶兵也。从刃，僉聲；简化字形 剑 = 佥 + 刂，经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（佥7 + 刂2 = 9）
Memory aid
The knife 刂 stands upright on the right — this is a blade. 佥 on the left is the sound part: qiān leaning over into jiàn. A blade wearing a borrowed sound: a sword.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 宝剑bǎo jiàna fine sword; treasured sword剑 = jiàn
- 击剑jī jiànfencing (the sport)剑 = jiàn
Go deeper
All readings
sword
sword; a long, straight, double-edged blade with a handle
一种兵器，长条形，两边有刃，末端尖，装有握柄。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 宝剑bǎo jiàna fine sword; treasured sword剑 = jiàn
- 击剑jī jiànfencing (the sport)剑 = jiàn
Sound component
佥 family onset shift
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 剑 mean?
剑 (jiàn) means sword; a long, straight, double-edged blade with a handle.
How do you pronounce 剑?
It is pronounced jiàn.
What parts is 剑 made of?
佥 (all; everyone (classical); in 俭 it carries the sound) and 刂 (knife (side form)), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字：劍，人所帶兵也。从刃，僉聲；简化字形 剑 = 佥 + 刂，经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（佥7 + 刂2 = 9）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 剑 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 剑?
刀. 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 剑?
Common ones are 宝剑 and 击剑. The reading of 剑 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.