间 jiān / jiàn — between; among; space; (measure word); interstice; separate
这个房间很干净。Zhè ge fáng jiān hěn gān jìng.This room is very clean.
Common words: 时间 (shí jiān)、房间 (fáng jiān)、中间 (zhōng jiān)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "between"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "between", including 间 (jiān / jiàn), 际 (jì), 介 (jiè). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "between" covers 3 different Chinese characters — 间 (jiān / jiàn), 际 (jì), 介 (jiè) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 3 characters do not share a sound — their readings span jiān, jiàn, jì, jiè — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 间 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 间 jiān / jiànbetween; among; space; (measure word); interstice; separateUseful words: 时间, 房间
- 际 jìborder; edge; boundary; between; among; intervalUseful words: 国际, 实际
- 介 jièintroduce; lie between; betweenUseful words: 介绍, 中介
Common words for these 3 "between" characters
Anchor each of these 3 characters in a word you can picture — start with 间 (jiān / jiàn) — so "between" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
时间shí jiān(concept of) time; (duration of) time; (point in) time房间fáng jiānroom中间zhōng jiānthe middle; the inside; in the middle; within国际guó jìinternational实际shí jìreality; practice; practical; realistic实际上shí jì shàngin fact; in reality; as a matter of fact; in practice介绍jiè shàoto introduce (sb to sb); to give a presentation; to present (sb for a job etc); introduction中介zhōng jièto act as intermediary; to link; intermediate; inter-简介jiǎn jièsummary; brief introduction
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 3 ways to say "between".
际 jì — border; edge; boundary; between; among; interval
这是一家国际学校。Zhè shì yì jiā guó jì xué xiào.This is an international school.
Common words: 国际 (guó jì)、实际 (shí jì)、实际上 (shí jì shàng)
介 jiè — introduce; lie between; between
请允许我介绍一下自己。Qǐng yǔn xǔ wǒ jiè shào yí xià zì jǐ.Please allow me to introduce myself.
Common words: 介绍 (jiè shào)、中介 (zhōng jiè)、简介 (jiǎn jiè)
All 3 characters
Open 间、际、介 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.