尖 (jiān) is a Chinese character meaning “pointed”. It is written from 小 (small) and 大 (big), one above the other, and takes 6 strokes.
Build the character for “pointed”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
小 + 大
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: IDS ⿱小大（现代字形拆分），已与 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数核验：小 3 + 大 3 = 尖 6
Memory aid
Small (小) stacked on top of big (大). Wide at the bottom, narrow at the top — that shape is exactly what a point looks like.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
6 strokes
In real words
- 笔尖bǐ jiānpen tip; nib; the point of a pen or pencil尖 = jiān
- 尖锐jiān ruìsharp; pointed; incisive (of a remark or conflict)尖 = jiān
- 舌尖shé jiāntip of the tongue尖 = jiān
Go deeper
All readings
pointed
pointed; sharp; the tip or point of something; (of hearing or sight) acute
末端细小锋利；物体的尖端。也指感觉敏锐。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 笔尖bǐ jiānpen tip; nib; the point of a pen or pencil尖 = jiān
- 尖锐jiān ruìsharp; pointed; incisive (of a remark or conflict)尖 = jiān
- 舌尖shé jiāntip of the tongue尖 = jiān
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 尖 mean?
尖 (jiān) means pointed; sharp; the tip or point of something; (of hearing or sight) acute.
How do you pronounce 尖?
It is pronounced jiān.
What parts is 尖 made of?
小 (small) and 大 (big), one above the other. The recorded source is: IDS ⿱小大（现代字形拆分），已与 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数核验：小 3 + 大 3 = 尖 6. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 尖 have?
6. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 尖?
小. 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 尖?
Common ones are 笔尖 and 尖锐. The reading of 尖 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.