Definitions

jiān to pick up with chopsticks

Etymology

To grip with chopsticks ; also provides the pronunciation

About

is a phono-semantic compound consisting of the hand radical on the left, signaling a hand action, and the component on the right. Here, represents chopsticks and also gives the character's pronunciation. Its meaning is the specific act of picking up food or small objects with chopsticks, not a general verb for grabbing. This character is narrowly used for dining situations involving traditional chopsticks, appearing mainly in regional dialects and in literary depictions of culinary customs and mealtime practices.