HanziGuru.殲 · jiān
殲
jiān[jian1]Tone 1

to annihilate

HSK 7
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歼
Guru Deep Dive

English · to annihilate

Cached lesson
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Topology:Left-right
Strokes:6
Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (歹) takes up about one-third of the width, while the right phonetic component (戔) takes up the remaining two-thirds. Keep the components balanced horizontally without letting the right side collapse.
Simplification Logic: The traditional form 殲 uses 戔 on the right, which was retained in the simplified character, while the left radical is the standard simplified variant for death and decay.
1. Meaning

to annihilate, to wipe out completely

abbreviation for fighter plane (歼击机)
VerbFormalBound morpheme#military#warfare#action
Sample Usage
  • 敌人被全部歼灭。
    Dírén bèi quánbù jiānmiè.
    The enemy was completely annihilated.
  • 这款歼-20是先进的战机。
    Zhè kuǎn jiān-èrshí shì xiānjìn de zhànjī.
    This J-20 is an advanced fighter jet.
2. Sound
/[tɕi̯än⁵⁵]/Tone: 55
殲
jiānjian1
++
¯(55)
=jiān
Build the syllable
Step-by-step blending
jian
Tone mark placement: Tone mark sits on "a" per main-vowel priority (a > e > o; in -iu/-ui the mark takes the second vowel).
Say it like:“dzh-yen”Close approximationTone pitch cue:flat, high
Key difference: Mandarin j is voiceless unaspirated [tɕ]; blend 'j' with 'yen' in one beat.
Initial Consonant
j
Type: Unaspirated Alveolo-Palatal
Sounds like: soft j / dy sound close to 'gee'
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: No air puff. Lips spread wide like smiling.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Front of tongue blade against hard palate, blade flat
Final Rhyme
ian
Vowel Group: -a vowel group
Sounds like: rhymes with an open 'ee-an' combination
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'yen'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T1 (55)
1st Tone (High-Flat)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 1 stays flat and high from start to finish, exactly like singing a sustained high note without any rise or fall.
👂
Listening trap: Do not confuse the palatal 'j' with the retroflex 'zh' or the alveolar 'z'. It is softer and produced further forward in the mouth than 'zh'.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: Imagine holding a steady, high musical note like a singer warming up on a flat table.
3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 6 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (歹) takes up about one-third of the width, while the right phonetic component (戔) takes up the remaining two-thirds. Keep the components balanced horizontally without letting the right side collapse.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 殲 uses 戔 on the right, which was retained in the simplified character, while the left radical is the standard simplified variant for death and decay.

4. Components

Radical 歹 · Death / Bone Radical (death, decay, misfortune)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 歹 (Indicates destruction, death, and military annihilation)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 戔 (original sound: jiān)

The death radical (歹) combined with the spear/halberd components of (戔) depicts weapons bringing total death and annihilation.

  • 歹 death or decay semantic clue
  • 戔 phonetic clue providing the sound 'jiān'
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Formed as a phono-semantic compound where the left component (歹) relates to ruin and death, and the right component (戔) provides the phonetic sound and suggests small fragments or reduction.

Semantic Evolution: Originally meant to cut or reduce to small pieces, it evolved to refer specifically to wiping out or annihilating an enemy force in battle.

  • Modern military terminology frequently uses this character as an abbreviation for fighter jets, such as the 歼-20.
6. Sinosphere
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: セン
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
섬
Sound Shift Bridge: The Mandarin 'jiān' corresponds to Sino-Japanese 'sen' and Sino-Korean 'seom'.
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

To ANNIHILATE (jiān) the enemy, death (歹) weapons (戔) slice everything into tiny pieces until none remain.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
韱
xiānwild onions or leeksPhonetic Core (声旁)
懺
+ 忄 (heart)
籤
+ ⺮ (bamboo)
纖
+ 糹 (silk)
Explore this family →
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
减(jiǎn)
Has the water/ice radical (冫) on the left instead of death (歹), meaning to subtract or reduce rather than annihilate.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
我們一定要把侵略者全部[___]。
Clue: jiān
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the left radical 歹 with 氵 (water) or mixing up its pronunciation with qiǎn or qián due to the shared phonetic component 戔.

Memory Prompts
Recognition: When you see 歼, what military action does it signify and how is it pronounced?
Production: How do you write the character for 'to annihilate' using the death radical and the phonetic part?
Real-World Video Context

Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.

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