間 (jiān) - Space between & interval

間Tone 1

jiān ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

嘉健

間 · jiān

Space between;

interval;

gap;

room;

to separate;

to sow discord;

secretly;

occasionally.

Space betweenintervalgap

Usage highlights

Space betweenTime intervalRoomSpyIndirectlyOccasionally

Synonyms

  • 隙— crack; gap; interval
  • 隔— to separate; to partition

Antonyms

  • 连— to connect; to link
  • 续— to continue; uninterrupted

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • There is a gap between the two buildings (两座建筑之间有间隔).
  • I live in a single room (我住在一个单人间).
  • He occasionally visits his grandparents (他间或去看望祖父母).
  • The spy gathered intelligence secretly (间谍秘密收集情报).

Collocations

  • Space between(空间)
  • Time interval(时间)
  • Room(房间)
  • Spy(间谍)
  • Indirectly(间接)
  • Occasionally(间或)

Idioms

  • In the nick of time(间不容发)
  • Seizing an opportunity(乘间抵隙)
  • To drive a wedge between(挑拨离间)
  • Reading between the lines(字里行间)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese architecture, '间' was a unit of measurement for the space between columns.
  • The character embodies the philosophical concept of the space between things, which can be both physical and temporal.
  • Historically used in military strategy to describe creating divisions or gaps in enemy formations.

FAQ