Dictionary › 缄

缄

jiān

Character Traditional 椷

What 缄 means

1. (wooden) box
2. cup
3. old variant of {缄|jiān}
4. letter

Other readings

缄 is 多音字 — it is read more than one way, and the reading changes the meaning.

• jiānletters; to close; to seal

Words starting with 缄

• 缄默jiān mòto keep silent
• 缄口不言jiān kǒu bù yánsee 闭口不言

Words containing 缄

• 三缄其口sān jiān qí kǒu(idiom) reluctant to speak about it; tight-lipped

Characters built on 咸

These share the phonetic component 咸 (xián), which is why their readings rhyme. Learning them as a family is far cheaper than learning them one at a time.

• 减jiǎnto lower; to decrease; to reduce
• 碱jiǎn(chemistry) base; alkali; soda
• 堿jiǎnvariant of 碱

Characters that look like 缄

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 域yùfield; region; area
• 编biānto weave; to plait; to organize
• 械xièappliance; tool; weapon
• 缝féngto sew; to stitch
• 蛆qūmaggot
• 腩nǎnbrisket; belly beef; spongy meat from cow's underside and neighboring ribs

Sounds the same

Read jiān, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 间between; among; within a definite time or space
• 坚strong; solid; firm
• 兼double; twice; simultaneous
• 艰difficult; hard; hardship
• 肩shoulder; to shoulder (responsibilities etc)
• 煎to pan fry; to sauté
• 监to supervise; to inspect; jail
• 尖pointed; tapering; sharp; (of a sound) shrill; piercing…
• 奸wicked; crafty; traitor
• 渐to imbue
• 笺letter; note-paper
• 歼to annihilate; abbr. for 歼击机