剑

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double-edged sword; CL:口[kou3],把[ba3]; classifier for blows of a sword

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Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Phono-semantic compound (形声字)

刂 meaning “knife” + 佥 sound ( qiān )

Components 佥刂

saber · Heisig RSH #2858

hootenanny + saber

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
上方宝剑	shàng fāng bǎo jiàn	imperial sword (giving bearer plenipotentiary powers); imperial Chinese version of 007 lic…
手里剑	shǒu lǐ jiàn	straight or circular throwing-knife used by ninja and samurai (loanword from Japanese 手裏剣 …
剑河县	Jiàn hé Xiàn	Jianhe, a county in Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture 黔東南苗族侗族自治州\|黔东南苗族侗族自治州[…
剑桥大学	Jiàn qiáo Dà xué	University of Cambridge
刀光剑影	dāo guāng jiàn yǐng	lit. flash of knives and swords (idiom); fig. intense conflict
剑眉星目	jiàn méi xīng mù	(idiom) straight, thick, upward-inclined eyebrows and eyes that are bright and full of spi…
剑川县	Jiàn chuān Xiàn	Jianchuan, a county in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture 大理白族自治州[Da4 li3 Bai2 zu2 Zi4 zhi4 zh…
剑鱼座	Jiàn yú zuò	Dorado (constellation)
花剑	huā jiàn	foil (fencing)
剑法	jiàn fǎ	fencing; sword-play
利剑	lì jiàn	sharp sword
剑道	jiàn dào	kendō (sports)
太极剑	tài jí jiàn	a kind of traditional Chinese sword-play
剑嘴鹛	jiàn zuǐ méi	(bird species of China) slender-billed scimitar babbler (Pomatorhinus superciliaris)
重剑	zhòng jiàn	épée (fencing)
剑河	Jiàn hé	see 劍河縣\|剑河县[Jian4 he2 Xian4]
剑龙	jiàn lóng	stegosaurus
木剑	mù jiàn	wooden sword
剑鱼	jiàn yú	swordfish
剑身	jiàn shēn	sword blade

Characters sharing the sound component 佥 — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
佥 sound part	qiān	all, together, unanimous
脸	liǎn	face, cheek; reputation
险	xiǎn	narrow pass, strategic point
检	jiǎn	to check, to examine, to inspect
验	yàn	to examine, to inspect, to test, to verify
签	qiān	to sign, to endorse; a note, a slip of paper
俭	jiǎn	temperate, frugal, economical
敛	liǎn	to collect, to extort
睑	jiǎn	eyelid
捡	jiǎn	to pick up, to gather, to collect
殓	liàn	to dress a corpse for burial
硷	jiǎn	alkaline, alkali, lye, salt
莶	xiān	vine
猃	xiǎn	long-snouted dog
裣	liǎn	draw one's hands into sleeve