建 (jiàn) — to build, to establish, to construct
Definition
A short, general verb for building or setting something up — used on its own (建一栋楼). For bigger or more formal projects prefer 建设; for 'establish' an organization or system prefer 建立.
verb
to buildto establishto construct
Examples
- 建。Tā men jiàn le yí dòng dà lóu.They built a big building.
- 建。Tā zài chéng lǐ jiàn le yì suǒ xīn xué xiào.He built a new school in the city.
- 建。Zhèng fǔ jiàn le yì tiáo xīn de tiě lù.The government built a new railway.
Origin
Compound ideograph六书liùshū
会意huìyìTwo or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.
- 廴廴yǐn
- 聿聿yù
The shape 建 shows 廴 and 聿, but it comes from an older drawing of a hand planting a pole into a base; the lower part of 聿 is not a brush.
Appears in
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