俭 (jiǎn) — (bound form) frugal, economical, thrifty
Definition
俭 is a bound form meaning 'frugal, thrifty' — it almost always appears as the second half of compounds like 节俭 or 勤俭. Same idea as 节俭 jiǎn, but used only as a component.
bound form
frugaleconomicalthrifty
Easily confused
- 检jiǎnlook-alike(bound form) to check, inspect, examine; also to restrain in certain compounds
- 剪jiǎnsound-aliketo cut with scissors; to trim
- 捡jiǎnlook-aliketo pick up; to collect; to gather
- 简jiǎnsound-alikesimple, brief, simplified (as a bound form in compounds)
- 脸liǎnlook-alikeface
- 减jiǎnsound-aliketo reduce, to decrease, to subtract
Examples
- 。Tā yí xiàng hěn jié jiǎn.He has always been very frugal.
- 。Cóng xiǎo yǎng chéng le qín jiǎn de xí guàn.(He) developed thrifty habits from childhood.
- 俭。Tā de chuān zhuó hěn jiǎn pǔ.His clothing is very plain and frugal.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 儉; 俭 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
僉
僉qiān儉jiǎn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 儉 pairs 人 (person) with 僉 as a sound part; the simplified 俭 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.
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