儉

See also: 俭

儉 U+5109, 儉 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5109 ← 儈 [U+5108] CJK Unified Ideographs 儊 → [U+510A]

Translingual

Traditional	儉
Shinjitai	倹
Simplified	俭

Han character

儉 (Kangxi radical 9, 人+13, 15 strokes, cangjie input 人人一人 (OOMO), four-corner 2828₆, composition ⿰亻僉)

Derived characters

• 𱕚, 𢸟, 𰸶, 𨯘, 𰯥, 𨇓

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 119, character 12
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 1190
• Dae Jaweon: page 252, character 11
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 226, character 6
• Unihan data for U+5109

Chinese

trad.		儉
simp.		俭
alternative forms		倹 𠈏 ancient

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 儉
Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts
Small seal script s05807 Transcribed ancient scripts L35511 L18813 L18814 L18815 L18816 L18817 L18818
References: Mostly from Richard Sears' Chinese Etymology site (authorisation), which in turn draws data from various collections of ancient forms of Chinese characters, including: Shuowen Jiezi (small seal), Jinwen Bian (bronze inscriptions), Liushutong (Liushutong characters) and Yinxu Jiaguwen Bian (oracle bone script).

Characters in the same phonetic series (僉) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
厱	*raːm, *kʰreːm, *kʰlam
歛	*qʰlaːm
臉	*ɡ·reːmʔ, *skʰlam, *kramʔ
醶	*ɡr·reːmʔ, *skʰraːmʔ
鹼	*kreːmʔ, *skʰlam
薟	*ɡ·ram, *ɡ·ramʔ, *qʰram
匳	*ɡ·ram
獫	*ɡ·ram, *ɡ·ramʔ, *ɡ·rams, *qʰramʔ
蘞	*ɡ·ram, *ɡ·ramʔ, *qʰlam
籢	*ɡ·ram
斂	*ɡ·ramʔ, *ɡ·rams
瀲	*ɡ·ramʔ, *ɡ·rams
撿	*ɡ·ramʔ, *kramʔ
羷	*ɡ·ramʔ
殮	*ɡ·rams
簽	*skʰlam
僉	*skʰlam
憸	*skʰlam, *skʰlamʔ, *sqʰlam, *qʰramʔ
譣	*skʰlam, *qʰramʔ
檢	*kramʔ
瞼	*kramʔ
儉	*ɡramʔ
顩	*ŋramʔ, *rlɯmʔ, *kʰrɯmʔ
嬐	*ŋramʔ
嶮	*ŋramʔ, *hŋramʔ
噞	*ŋramʔ, *ŋrams
驗	*ŋrams
險	*qʰramʔ
劒	*kams
劍	*kams
𩏩	*qʰam

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *ɡramʔ) : semantic 人 (“person”) + phonetic 僉 (OC *skʰlam).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): jiǎn (jian³)

  (Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄢˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): gim⁶
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): khiam

  (Meixian, Guangdong): kiam⁴

• Eastern Min (BUC): giêng
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): khiām / khiǎm

  (Teochew, Peng'im): kiam⁶ / kiang⁶

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁶ji

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: jiǎn
    • Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄢˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jiǎn
    • Wade–Giles: chien³
    • Yale: jyǎn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jean
    • Palladius: цзянь (czjanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi̯ɛn²¹⁴/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: gim⁶
    • Yale: gihm
    • Cantonese Pinyin: gim⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: gim⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kiːm²²/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: khiam
    • Hakka Romanization System: kiam
    • Hagfa Pinyim: kiam⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /kʰi̯am⁵⁵/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: kiam⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /kʰiam⁵³/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: giêng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kiɛŋ²⁴²/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khiām
    • Tâi-lô: khiām
    • Phofsit Daibuun: qiam
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /kʰiam²²/
    • IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung): /kʰiam³³/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khiǎm
    • Tâi-lô: khiǎm
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /kʰiam²²/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: kiam⁶ / kiang⁶
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: khiăm / khiăng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰiam³⁵/, /kʰiaŋ³⁵/

Note: kiang6 - Chenghai.

• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁶ji
    • MiniDict: ji^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³jji
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /d͡ʑi²³/

---

• Middle Chinese: gjemX

Rime
Character	儉
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	群 (30)
Final (韻)	鹽 (154)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	巨險切
Baxter	gjemX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ɡˠiᴇmX/
Pan Wuyun	/ɡᵚiɛmX/
Shao Rongfen	/ɡiæmX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/gjiamX/
Li Rong	/ɡjɛmX/
Wang Li	/ɡĭɛmX/
Bernhard Karlgren	/gi̯ɛmX/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	jiàn
Expected Cantonese Reflex	gim6

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[ɡ]r[a]mʔ/

  (Zhengzhang): /*ɡramʔ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	儉
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	jiǎn
Middle Chinese	‹ gjemX ›
Old Chinese	/*[ɡ]r[a]mʔ/
English	restrict, frugal
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	儉
Reading #	1/1
No.	10213
Phonetic component	僉
Rime group	談
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	儉
Old Chinese	/*ɡramʔ/

Definitions

儉

1. frugal; thrifty

   節儉／节俭  ―  jiéjiǎn  ―  frugal; thrifty; economical

   勤儉／勤俭  ―  qínjiǎn  ―  hardworking and thrifty

   儉樸／俭朴  ―  jiǎnpǔ  ―  thrifty and simple

   省吃儉用／省吃俭用  ―  shěngchījiǎnyòng  ―  to save on food and daily expenses

   勤工儉學／勤工俭学  ―  qíngōngjiǎnxué  ―  part-time work and part-time study

   • 禮，與其奢也，寧儉；喪，與其易也，寧戚。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     礼，与其奢也，宁俭；丧，与其易也，宁戚。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Lǐ, yǔqí shē yě, nìng jiǎn; sāng, yǔqí yì yě, nìng qī. [Pinyin]

     In festive ceremonies, it is better to be sparing than extravagant. In the ceremonies of mourning, it is better that there be deep sorrow than a minute attention to observances.

2. ^† modest; moderate; temperate

   • 夫子溫、良、恭、儉、讓以得之。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     夫子温、良、恭、俭、让以得之。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Fūzǐ wēn, liáng, gōng, jiǎn, ràng yǐ dé zhī. [Pinyin]

     Our master is benign, upright, courteous, temperate, and complaisant and thus he gets his information.

   • 恭儉而好禮者宜歌小雅。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     恭俭而好礼者宜歌小雅。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Book of Rites, c. 4^th – 2^nd century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Gōngjiǎn ér hàolǐ zhě yí gē Xiǎoyǎ. [Pinyin]

     The courteous and self-restraining, the lovers of the rules of propriety, should sing the Xiao Ya (Minor Odes of the Kingdom).

3. ^† lacking; insufficient
4. ^† poor harvest
5. (Taiwanese Hokkien) to save up; to store up
6. (Teochew, Singapore Hokkien) to save; to economize
7. a surname

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 省 (“to save; to economize”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		省
Northeastern Mandarin	Taiwan	省
	Singapore	省
Southwestern Mandarin	Guilin	省
Cantonese	Guangzhou	慳
	Hong Kong	慳
	Taishan	慳
	Singapore (Guangfu)	慳
	Ho Chi Minh City (Guangfu)	慳
Hakka	Meixian	省
	Huizhou (Huicheng; Bendihua)	慳
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	省
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	省
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	省
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	省
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	省
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	省
	Hong Kong	省
Southern Min	Taipei	省 GT
	Penang (Hokkien)	省
	Singapore (Hokkien)	省, 儉
	Manila (Hokkien)	省
	Chaozhou	儉
	Shantou	儉, 省
	Jieyang	儉
	Haifeng	儉
	Singapore (Teochew)	儉
	Pontianak (Teochew)	儉
Note	GT - General Taiwanese (no specific region identified)

Compounds

• 乞窮儉相 / 乞穷俭相
• 儉嗇 / 俭啬
• 儉月 / 俭月
• 儉樸 / 俭朴 (jiǎnpǔ)
• 儉省 / 俭省 (jiǎnshěng)
• 儉約 / 俭约 (jiǎnyuē)
• 儉素 / 俭素
• 儉腹 / 俭腹
• 儉腸凹肚 / 俭肠凹肚 (khiām-tn̂g-neh-tō͘) (Min Nan)
• 儉色 / 俭色
• 儉薄 / 俭薄
• 儉觳 / 俭觳
• 儉錢 / 俭钱 (khiām-chîⁿ) (Min Nan)
• 克儉克勤 / 克俭克勤
• 克勤克儉 / 克勤克俭 (kèqínkèjiǎn)
• 勤儉 / 勤俭 (qínjiǎn)
• 崇節尚儉 / 崇节尚俭
• 恭儉 / 恭俭
• 恭儉靜一 / 恭俭静一
• 水儉 / 水俭
• 田豫儉素 / 田豫俭素
• 省儉 / 省俭 (shěngjiǎn)
• 省吃儉用 / 省吃俭用 (shěngchījiǎnyòng)
• 禮奢寧儉 / 礼奢宁俭
• 禮存寧儉 / 礼存宁俭
• 節儉 / 节俭 (jiéjiǎn)
• 節儉力行 / 节俭力行
• 節儉躬行 / 节俭躬行
• 自奉甚儉 / 自奉甚俭
• 豐儉由人 / 丰俭由人 (fēngjiǎnyóurén)
• 躬行節儉 / 躬行节俭

References

• “Entry #10993”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.
• “儉”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[1], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

Japanese

Shinjitai	倹
Kyūjitai	儉

Kanji

儉

(Jinmeiyō kanji, kyūjitai kanji, shinjitai form 倹)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Readings

• Go-on: げん (gen)
• Kan-on: けん (ken)
• Kun: つましい (tsumashii, 儉しい)、つずまやか (tsuzumayaka, 儉やか)^{←つづまやか (tudumayaka, 儉やか, historical)}

Korean

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Middle Korean readings, if any”)

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [kʌ̹m]
• Phonetic hangul: [검]

Hanja

Wikisource

儉 (eumhun 검소하 검 (geomsoha geom))

1. hanja form^? of 검 (“frugal, temperate”)

Vietnamese

Han character

儉: Hán Nôm readings: kiệm, cợm, hiếm, thiếu

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.