间 (jiān) - Between, among & space, interval

间Tone 1

jiān ｜ 7 strokes ｜ radical: 门

嘉健

间 · jiān

Between, among;

space, interval;

room;

to separate;

occasionally, sometimes.

Between, amongspace, intervalroom

Usage highlights

BetweenRoomTimeIntervalSpaceOccasionally

Synonyms

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • There is a table between the chairs (椅子之间).
  • I live in a small room (小房间).
  • We meet occasionally (我们之间见面).
  • There is a time interval (时间间隔).

Collocations

  • Between(之间)
  • Room(房间)
  • Time(时间)
  • Interval(间隔)
  • Space(空间)
  • Occasionally(间或)

Idioms

  • Between the lines(字里行间)
  • In a split second(弹指之间)
  • In the nick of time(瞬息之间)
  • A hair's breadth apart(间不容发)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally depicted sunlight coming through a door crack, representing the concept of 'between' or 'interval'.
  • Used extensively in Chinese philosophy and literature to describe relationships and spatial-temporal concepts.
  • The simplified form 间 combines 门 (door) and 日 (sun), maintaining the original semantic concept.

FAQ