Writing Balance Rule: The top component ('small') must be narrower and perched neatly on top of the wider bottom component ('big'), tapering downwards visually.
1. Meaning
pointed, tapering, sharp, or a sharp point/tip
(of a sound) shrill, piercing(of one's hearing, sight, etc.) sharp, acute, keento make (one's voice) shrillthe best of something, the cream of the crop
This knife is very sharp, be careful when cutting vegetables.
铅笔的尖断了。
Qiānbǐ de jiān duàn le.
The tip of the pencil broke.
2. Sound
/[t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵]/Tone: 55
尖
jiānjian1
|
++
¯(55)
=jiān
Initial Consonant
j
Type: Unaspirated Alveolo-Palatal
Sounds like: soft j sound (like the g in 'gin' or j in 'jeep' without much friction)
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: No air puff. Lips spread wide like smiling.
Tongue & Mouth Position: The blade of the tongue touches the back of the lower front teeth while the front of the tongue rises toward the hard palate.
Final Rhyme
ian
Vowel Group: -a vowel group
Sounds like: rhymes roughly with the 'ien' in 'client' or 'ee-an'
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'yen'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T1 (55)
5 → 5 (55)
1st Tone (High-Flat)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 1 is a high, steady pitch, similar to when you hold out a single musical note in surprise ('Ah!').
👂
Listening trap: Do not confuse the unrounded palatal 'jiān' with retroflex sounds like 'zhān' or velar sounds like 'gān'.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: Keep your hand flat and steady at eye level, making a high, unwavering line like a singing note on a single high pitch.
3. Writing
Topology: Top-bottom · Strokes: 6 strokes
Writing Balance Rule: The top component ('small') must be narrower and perched neatly on top of the wider bottom component ('big'), tapering downwards visually.
4. Components
Radical小 · Small Radical (small)
Semantic Clue (形旁):大 (Provides the broad base representing 'big')
A compound ideogram: something that is **small** (小) on top and **big** (大) on the bottom naturally tapers into a sharp point or cone shape.
小 Small (forms the sharp top tip)
大 Big (forms the wide base)
5. History
Liushu category: Compound ideogram (会意)
Origin: Originally created by stacking 'small' (小) over 'big' (大), visually depicting an object that is wide at the base and narrows down to a tiny point at the top.
Semantic Evolution: From the physical shape of a tapering object (like a tent, a mountain, or a spearhead), it extended to mean anything sharp, pointed, piercing in sound, or the elite 'crest' of a group.
The character brilliantly captures visual logic: small on top of big equals a pointed cone.
6. Sinosphere
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: セン (sen) / Kun: とが.る (togaru), さき (saki)
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story
Imagine looking at the Eiffel Tower or a sharp pencil: it is **small** (小) at the very top tip, and **big** (大) at the bottom base. Together, they form a very **sharp** (尖) point!
Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
尖
jiānpointed, sharpBase character representing a sharp point (small over big).
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
尘(chén)
'尘' has 'earth/soil' (土) under 'small' (小), meaning dust. '尖' has 'big' (大) under 'small' (小), meaning sharp point.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
这支铅笔的___太细了，容易断。
Clue: jiān
Common Learner Pitfall
Confusing the vertical hook and placement of strokes in the bottom '大' component underneath '小'.
Memory Prompts
Recognition: When you see 尖, what visual parts make up this character and what is its primary meaning?
Production: How do you write the character for 'sharp / pointed' (jiān) using 'small' and 'big'?
Real-World Video Context
Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.
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尖jiānpointed; sharp; tip
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