建 (jiàn) is a Chinese character meaning “to build”. It is written from 廴 (long stride radical) and 聿 (writing brush), one enclosing the other, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “to build; to establish”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
廴 + 聿
Enclosing structure
Structure from: IDS 拆分 ⿺廴聿，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：建 共 8 笔 = 聿 6 笔 + 廴 2 笔
Memory aid
A writing brush (聿) sits above the long-stride radical 廴. Both parts really are in this character: you draw up the plan with the brush, then stride out and carry it through — 建 is to set up, to build.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 建设jiàn shèto build; construction建 = jiàn
- 建议jiàn yìto suggest; suggestion; proposal建 = jiàn
Go deeper
All readings
to build
to build; to construct; to establish; to found; to put forward (a proposal)
修筑、兴建；创立、设立。也指提出（意见、主张）。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 建设jiàn shèto build; construction建 = jiàn
- 建议jiàn yìto suggest; suggestion; proposal建 = jiàn
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 建 mean?
建 (jiàn) means to build; to construct; to establish; to found; to put forward (a proposal).
How do you pronounce 建?
It is pronounced jiàn.
What parts is 建 made of?
廴 (long stride radical) and 聿 (writing brush), one enclosing the other. The recorded source is: IDS 拆分 ⿺廴聿，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：建 共 8 笔 = 聿 6 笔 + 廴 2 笔. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 建 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 建?
廴. 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 建?
Common ones are 建设 and 建议. The reading of 建 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.