verb HSK 6
Traditional
jiàn
to trample · to tread on · to carry out · to fulfill

Meaning

originally meant to step on or trample something physically. Over time, it developed an extended meaning of carrying out or fulfilling promises, plans, or duties, as in 'putting something into practice' or 'following through.' It's a formal, literary character rarely used alone in modern spoken Chinese.

Usage

In modern Mandarin, almost always appears in compound words rather than alone. Common compounds include 行 (to carry out/practice), 实 (to practice/put into practice), and 踏 (to trample). It's a formal register word used in written Chinese, speeches, and serious discourse.

Examples

  1. 01
    我们要行社会主义核心价值观。
    Wǒmen yào jiànxíng shèhuì zhǔyì héxīn jiàzhíguān.
    We must put into practice the core socialist values.
  2. 02
    不要踏草坪。
    Bùyào jiàntà cǎopíng.
    Don't trample on the lawn.

Common collocations

  • 行承诺
    jiàn xíng chéng nuò
    to fulfill a promise
  • 踏人权
    jiàn rén quán
    to trample on human rights
  • 付诸实
    zhū shí jiàn
    to put into practice

Antonyms

Origin

The traditional form contains the foot radical 足, indicating the original meaning of stepping or treading. The phonetic component 戔 suggests the pronunciation.

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