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薦 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
薦jiànto recommend; to recur, to repeatx, 17 strokes, radical 艹, rank #93057, Very Hard
jiàn(jian4) T4
  1. 1to recommend; to recur, to repeat
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March 24, 2026

薦jiàn(jian4)

The character 薦 (jiàn) primarily means 'to recommend' or 'to suggest'. It is often used in contexts where one person is advising another to consider a particular option, such as recommending a book or a restaurant. Additionally, it can imply the idea of recurrence or repetition in certain contexts, although this usage is less common.

Strokes17Radical艹Frequency#93057DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, recommendations play a significant role in social interactions, such as in the context of job applications where personal recommendations can greatly influence hiring decisions. This character reflects the importance of trust and personal connections in Chinese society.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person holding a fragrant flower (the radical 艹) in one hand, representing something pleasant, and pointing with the other hand to suggest it to someone else. The pronunciation 'jiàn' sounds like 'gently' recommending something nice, making it easier to remember.

Meanings of 薦

jiàn(jian4)
1to recommend; to recur, to repeat
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 薦

薦Simplified
17Strokes
艹Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 薦

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Podcast: 薦

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AI Study Notes for 薦

Quick Contrast

推荐 (tuījiàn) vs 薦 (jiàn): Use 推荐 when emphasizing a formal recommendation or endorsement, while 薦 is more about suggesting or advising.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 薦 with similar characters like 建 (jiàn, to build), as they have different meanings and pronunciations. This character is more commonly used in formal contexts, particularly in writing. Common collocations include '推荐书籍' (tuījiàn shūjì, to recommend books) and '推荐人' (tuījiàn rén, recommender).

HSK Study Tips

While 薦 is not included in HSK levels, it connects with other recommendation-related words like 推荐 (tuījiàn). Students should focus on the context in which recommendations are made to help solidify their understanding of how to use this character effectively.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 薦 with 建 (jiàn), leading to misuse in contexts related to building or establishing something. For example, saying '我薦这个项目' (wǒ jiàn zhège xiàngmù) instead of '我推荐这个项目' (wǒ tuījiàn zhège xiàngmù) is incorrect and should be corrected.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 薦

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Etymology of 薦

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 存 represents the sound. Simplified form of 薦. Based on the original meaning "straw mat". The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

Memory Hint

perennial grass

Semantic (meaning)艹
+
Phonetic (sound)廌
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 薦

Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 存 represents the sound. Simplified form of 薦. Based on the original meaning "straw mat". The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

  1. 1The meaning half艹 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half廌 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayperennial grass
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 薦? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 薦?

Decomposition of 薦

IDS Structure⿱艹廌
薦Full Character
=
艹cao3
top
廌zhi4
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 薦?

How to say to recommend; to recur, to repeat in Chinese

“to recommend; to recur, to repeat” in Chinese is薦jiàn

The character 薦 (jiàn) primarily means 'to recommend' or 'to suggest'. It is often used in contexts where one person is advising another to consider a particular option, such as recommending a book or a restaurant. Additionally, it can imply the idea of recurrence or repetition in certain contexts, although this usage is less common.

When to use 薦

Be careful not to confuse 薦 with similar characters like 建 (jiàn, to build), as they have different meanings and pronunciations. This character is more commonly used in formal contexts, particularly in writing. Common collocations include '推荐书籍' (tuījiàn shūjì, to recommend books) and '推荐人' (tuījiàn rén, recommender).

薦 or something close to it

推荐 (tuījiàn) vs 薦 (jiàn): Use 推荐 when emphasizing a formal recommendation or endorsement, while 薦 is more about suggesting or advising.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 薦 with 建 (jiàn), leading to misuse in contexts related to building or establishing something. For example, saying '我薦这个项目' (wǒ jiàn zhège xiàngmù) instead of '我推荐这个项目' (wǒ tuījiàn zhège xiàngmù) is incorrect and should be corrected.

Write 薦

薦

Practice writing 薦 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Word Family of 薦

Words Containing This Character10
推荐tuījiànto recommend推薦
推荐信recommendation letter推薦信
引荐to recommend sb引薦
自荐to recommend oneself (for a job)自薦
荐jiàngrass薦
举荐to recommend舉薦
毛遂自荐Mao Sui recommends himself (idiom); to offer one's services (in the style of Mao Sui offering his services to king of Chu 楚 of the Warring states)毛遂自薦
荐举to nominate薦舉
荐引to introduce薦引
饥馑荐臻famine repeats unceasingly (idiom, from Book of Songs)饑饉薦臻
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 推荐 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 薦

You can say '我推荐这本书给你' (Wǒ tuījiàn zhè běn shū gěi nǐ), meaning 'I recommend this book to you'.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 薦?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.