涧

㵎/澗

jiàn

氵 + 间

Definitions

jiàn (noun) mountain stream; ravine

Etymology

A stream 氵 flowing through a valley 间; 间 also provides the pronunciation

About

The character 涧 (traditional form 澗) is a phono-semantic compound that pairs the water radical 氵 on the left with the phonetic component 间 on the right. While 氵 marks it as a water feature, 间 (meaning 'gap' or 'valley') also reinforces the image of a stream flowing through a mountain cleft and supplies the pronunciation. It denotes a narrow brook, gully, or swift stream coursing between steep cliffs or through ravines. This vivid sense of water cutting across rugged terrain made 涧 a favorite in classical poetry, landscape painting titles, and literature, where it evokes untamed nature, serene wilderness valleys, and the sound of rushing water over stone.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

山涧的水很清。

Shān jiàn de shuǐ hěn qīng.

The water of the mountain stream is very clear.

我们沿着山涧走。

Wǒmen yán zhe shān jiàn zǒu.

We walk along the mountain stream.

涧水从山上流下来。

Jiàn shuǐ cóng shān shàng liú xià lái.

The stream water flows down from the mountain.

孩子在涧边玩耍。

Háizi zài jiàn biān wánshuǎ.

Children play by the stream.

雨后山涧的水位上涨了。

Yǔ hòu shān jiàn de shuǐwèi shàngzhǎng le.

After the rain, the water level of the mountain stream rose.

他们决定在涧谷中露营。

Tāmen juédìng zài jiàn gǔ zhōng lùyíng.

They decided to camp in the ravine.

清澈的涧水倒映着蓝天。

Qīngchè de jiàn shuǐ dàoyìng zhe lántiān.

The clear stream water reflects the blue sky.

尽管山涧狭窄，但水流却十分湍急。

Jǐnguǎn shān jiàn xiázhǎi, dàn shuǐliú què shífēn tuānjí.

Although the mountain stream is narrow, the water flow is very rapid.

Related Characters

Component: 氵

Component: 间

涧