间

2 readings · tap one to hear it

between; among; within a definite time or space; room; section of a room or lateral space between two pairs of pillars; classifier for rooms

Sound it out + + = · + + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Ideographic compound (会意字)

The sun 日 shining through a doorway 门

Components 门日

interval · Heisig RSH #1264

门 gate + sun

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

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

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
中间	zhōng jiān	the middle; the inside; in the middle; within; between; among; during; in the meantime
时间	shí jiān	(concept of) time; (duration of) time; (point in) time
洗手间	xǐ shǒu jiān	toilet; lavatory; washroom
房间	fáng jiān	room; CL:間\|间[jian1]
中间人	zhōng jiān rén	intermediary; mediator
电子空间	diàn zǐ kōng jiān	cyberspace
开区间	kāi qū jiān	open interval (in calculus)
区间车	qū jiān chē	train or bus traveling only part of its normal route
一线之间	yī xiàn zhī jiān	a hair's breadth apart; a fine line; a fine distinction
一时间	yī shí jiān	for a moment; momentarily
打发时间	dǎ fā shí jiān	to pass the time
子空间	zǐ kōng jiān	(math.) subspace
线性空间	xiàn xìng kōng jiān	(math.) vector space; linear space
安定时间	ān dìng shí jiān	(control theory) settling time
花时间	huā shí jiān	to take up time; to spend time
中间路线	zhōng jiān lù xiàn	middle road (in politics)
人间	rén jiān	the human world; the earth
字里行间	zì lǐ háng jiān	between the words and the lines (idiom); implied meaning; connotations
区间	qū jiān	delimited area; defined section of a train or bus route; numerical range; (math.) interval
中间名	zhōng jiān míng	middle name; second given name

These characters use 间 as their sound component — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
间 sound part	jiān	between, among; midpoint; space, place, locality
简	jiǎn	simple, succinct, terse; a letter
锏	jiǎn	rapier; mace
裥	jiǎn	pleats, folds