Phonosemantic compound. ⺮ represents the meaning and 間 represents the sound. The character is based on the original meaning "bamboo strips for writing". The meaning later shifted to "letter", "concise", and "simple".
Components
Notes
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Similar Characters
Historical Evolution
简
Bronze
Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
简
Bronze
Late Warring States (~250 BC)
简
Seal
Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
简
Seal
Shuowen (~100 AD)
简
Clerical
Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
简
Clerical
Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
简
Clerical
Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
简
Seal
Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
简
Clerical
Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
简
Clerical
Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
简
Regular
Modern
Chinese
简 / 簡 [jiǎn]
simple; uncomplicated; letter; to choose; to select; bamboo strips used for writing (old)
Japanese
noun
- simplicity; brevity
- letter; note; correspondence
- bamboo writing strip (in ancient China)
- simplified Chinese character
Example Sentences
Japanese Names
簡 あきら
Akira given name
簡 いくふみ
Ikufumi unclassified name
簡 いさむ
Isamu given name
簡 かん
Kan surname
CHINESE WORDS (88)
简单 [jiǎndān] #637
simple
简直 [jiǎnzhí] #665
simply
简称 [jiǎnchēng] #10,718
to be abbreviated to
简历 [jiǎnlì] #6,286
curriculum vitae (CV)
简洁 [jiǎnjié] #14,971
concise
简短 [jiǎnduǎn] #7,984
brief (statement, summary etc)
简化 [jiǎnhuà] #17,591
to simplify
简介 [jiǎnjiè] #20,583
summary
简约 [jiǎnyuē] #22,977
sketchy
简易 [jiǎnyì] #15,696
simple and easy
78 more
items
JAPANESE WORDS (91)
⭐ 簡単 [かんたん] #353
simple
⭐ 簡潔 [かんけつ] #7,644
concise
⭐ 簡素 [かんそ] #9,817
simple
⭐ 簡易 [かんい] #10,327
simple
⭐ 札 [さつ] #12,002
banknote
簡単に言えば [かんたんにいえば] #17,643
simply put
いとも簡単に [いともかんたんに] #17,676
very easily
⭐ 書簡 [しょかん] #19,347
letter
簡単に言うと [かんたんにいうと] #20,212
simply put
了見 [りょうけん] #23,459
idea
81 more
items