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监 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
监jiānhardHSK 7, vn, 10 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10990, Very Hard
监jiānstrongHSK 7, vn, 10 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10990, Very Hard
监jiānsolidHSK 7, vn, 10 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10990, Very Hard
监jiānfirmHSK 7, vn, 10 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10990, Very Hard
监jiānto superviseHSK 7, vn, 10 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10990, Very Hard
监jiānto inspectHSK 7, vn, 10 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10990, Very Hard
监jiānjailHSK 7, vn, 10 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10990, Very Hard
监jiānprisonHSK 7, vn, 10 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10990, Very Hard
监jiānsupervisorHSK 7, vn, 10 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10990, Very Hard
监jiānto supervise, to direct, to control; to inspect; prison, jailHSK 7, vn, 10 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10990, Very Hard
监jiànhardHSK 7, vn, 10 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10990, Very Hard
监jiànstrongHSK 7, vn, 10 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10990, Very Hard
监jiànsolidHSK 7, vn, 10 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10990, Very Hard
监jiànfirmHSK 7, vn, 10 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10990, Very Hard
监jiànto superviseHSK 7, vn, 10 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10990, Very Hard
监jiànto inspectHSK 7, vn, 10 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10990, Very Hard
监jiànjailHSK 7, vn, 10 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10990, Very Hard
监jiànprisonHSK 7, vn, 10 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10990, Very Hard
监jiànsupervisorHSK 7, vn, 10 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10990, Very Hard
监jiànto supervise, to direct, to control; to inspect; prison, jailHSK 7, vn, 10 strokes, radical 皿, rank #10990, Very Hard
jiān(jian1)jian
primary
T1
  1. 1hard
  2. 2strong
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

监(監)jiān(jian1)

The character 监 (jiān) primarily refers to the act of supervising or inspecting. It can also denote a place of confinement, such as a jail or prison. Commonly used in contexts involving oversight or authority, it carries a sense of control and strictness.

Strokes10Radical皿Frequency#10990DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of supervision is deeply rooted in Confucian values, where hierarchical relationships are emphasized, and authority figures are expected to monitor and guide subordinates.

Memory Tip

Imagine a strong guardian (representing the meaning of 'strong' and 'supervise') standing at the entrance of a jail, ensuring that everything inside is under control. The character 监 resembles a watchful eye, symbolizing supervision.

Meanings of 监

jiān(jian1)
primary
1hard
2strong
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 监 means.

About 监

监Simplified
監Traditional
10Strokes
皿Radical
名动词dòngcíverb-noun (v.-n.)Part of Speech
#10990Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7

Podcast: 监

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Podcast: 监

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AI Study Notes for 监

Quick Contrast

监 (supervise) vs 管 (manage) — use 监 when emphasizing oversight and inspection rather than general management.

Usage Notes

Be cautious with the tone when pronouncing 监 (jiān); it is pronounced with a high level tone. Common collocations include 监视 (jiānshì, to monitor) and 监狱 (jiānyù, prison). Avoid confusing it with similar-sounding characters like 建 (jiàn, to build).

HSK Study Tips

While 监 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, it connects with words related to supervision and authority, which are common in intermediate levels. Focus on its usage in contexts like law enforcement and management.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 监 (jiān) with similar characters like 见 (jiàn, to see). For example, saying 见监 instead of 监视 (jiānshì, to monitor) is incorrect. Always remember that 监 emphasizes supervision.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 监

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Etymology of 监

Explanation

Simplified form of 監. Pictograph of a person leaning over to look at his own reflection on a plate.

Learn more about character formation (六书)
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

What kind of character is 监?

Decomposition of 监

IDS Structure⿱?皿
监Full Character
=
皿min3
top
Exercise 1 of 1

Parts

Which of these is part of 监?

How to say hard in Chinese

“hard” in Chinese is监jiān

The character 监 (jiān) primarily refers to the act of supervising or inspecting. It can also denote a place of confinement, such as a jail or prison. Commonly used in contexts involving oversight or authority, it carries a sense of control and strictness.

When to use 监

Be cautious with the tone when pronouncing 监 (jiān); it is pronounced with a high level tone. Common collocations include 监视 (jiānshì, to monitor) and 监狱 (jiānyù, prison). Avoid confusing it with similar-sounding characters like 建 (jiàn, to build).

监 or something close to it

监 (supervise) vs 管 (manage) — use 监 when emphasizing oversight and inspection rather than general management.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 监 (jiān) with similar characters like 见 (jiàn, to see). For example, saying 见监 instead of 监视 (jiānshì, to monitor) is incorrect. Always remember that 监 emphasizes supervision.

Write 监

监

Practice writing 监 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 监

监 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 10 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 2

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

各个企业都有一套或高或低的质量____测管理标准。

Every enterprise has a set of quality monitoring standards, whether high or low.

Example Sentences for 监 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
他在得克萨斯监狱服刑时学会了这首歌。

tā zài dé kè sà sī jiān yù fú xíng shí xué huì le zhè shǒu gē。

He learned this song as an inmate at a Texas prison.
2
他被实时监测,定时量血压。

tā bèi shí shí jiān cè, , dìng shí liáng xiě。

He is being constantly monitored with regular checks on his blood pressure.
3
12名犯人在一场监狱暴乱中被杀害。

12 12 míng fàn rén zài yī cháng jiān yù bào luàn zhōng bèi shā。

Twelve inmates have been killed during a riot at the prison.
4
在昨天的一次秘密行动中她从监狱获释。

zài zuó tiān de yī cì mì mì háng dòng zhōng tā cóng jiān yù huò shì。

She was released from prison in a cloak and dagger operation yesterday.
5
特迪咂了咂舌头,活像个不以为然的英国女舍监。

tè dí zā le zā shé tóu, , huó xiàng gè bù yǐ wéi rán de yīng guó nǚ shě。

Teddy clucked his tongue like a disapproving English matron.
6
他被监禁了18个月,还责令他支付550英镑的诉讼费。

tā bèi jiān jīn le18 18 gè, yuè , huán zé líng tā550 zhī fù 550 yīng bàng de。

He was jailed for 18 months and ordered to pay £550 costs.
7
艾娜是个坏女孩,后来自然就进了监狱。

ài nà shì gè huài nǚ hái, , hòu lái zì rán jiù jìn le jiān。

Ina is a bad girl so, natch, ends up in prison.
8
凯利先生因藐视法庭被判6个月监禁。

kǎi lì xiān shēng yīn miǎo shì fǎ tíng bèi pàn6 6 gè yuè jiān。

Mr. Kelly was sentenced to six months in prison for contempt.
9
找个建筑师或监理员来监工。

zhǎo gè jiàn zhù shī huò jiān lǐ yuán lái jiān gōng。

Call in an architect or surveyor to oversee the work.
10
“我们要了解一下其他监狱官的想法,好吗?”

“ “ wǒ mén yào le jiě yī xià qí tā jiān yù guān de xiǎng, fǎ ,?”

"We'll see what other prisoner officers think, all right?"

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Word Family of 监

Compounds6
蓝Lan2surname Lan
篮lan2basket
尴gan1embarrassed
滥lan4overflowing
槛jian4threshold, door frame
褴lan2ragged, tattered, threadbare
Words Containing This Character20
监狱jiānyùprison監獄
监督jiāndūto control監督
监视jiānshìto monitor監視
监jiānjail監
监管jiānguǎnto oversee監管
监控jiānkòngto monitor監控
监测jiāncèto monitor監測
总监zǒngjiānhead總監
监察jiāncháto supervise監察
监禁to imprison監禁
监护jiānhùto act as a guardian監護
监视器security camera監視器
监听to monitor監聽
监护人guardian監護人
监护权custody (of a child)監護權
太监court eunuch太監
监制to supervise the manufacture of監製
监考to invigilate監考
药监局State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA)藥監局
监牢prison監牢
Exercise 1 of 4

Characters with 监

What does 篮 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 监

Common phrases include 监狱 (jiānyù, prison) and 监督 (jiāndū, to oversee).

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