Definition
槛 (jiàn) is a bound form (不成词语素) that appears in compound words meaning 'threshold' or 'door sill'. It cannot stand alone as a word — you'll always see it paired with another character, most commonly in 门槛 (ménkǎn, 'threshold', but note the pronunciation shifts to kǎn in that compound). In formal or literary contexts, 槛 (jiàn) also appears in words like 槛车 (jiànchē, 'prison van') and 兽槛 (shòujiàn, 'animal cage'). Be careful: the same character has a colloquial reading kǎn used in everyday speech for 'threshold'.
b.f.
(bound form) thresholddoor sill
Examples
- Tā kuà guò le rénshēng de zuìhòu yí dào ménjiànHe crossed the final threshold of his life.
- 槛。Gǔdài qiúchē yě jiào jiàn chē.Ancient prison vans were also called jiànchē.
- Zhè dào ménjiàn de gāodù zhènghǎo shìhé lǎorénThe height of this threshold is just right for the elderly.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.