建 jiàn — to establish; to found; to set up; to build; to construct
工人们正在建一座新桥。Gōng rén men zhèng zài jiàn yí zuò xīn qiáo.The workers are building a new bridge.
Common words: 建议 (jiàn yì)、建立 (jiàn lì)、建设 (jiàn shè)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "to construct"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "to construct", including 建 (jiàn), 构 (gòu). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "to construct" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 建 (jiàn), 构 (gòu) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span jiàn, gòu — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 建 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 建 jiànto establish; to found; to set up; to build; to constructUseful words: 建议, 建立
- 构 gòuBroussonetia papyrifera; to construct; to form; to make up; to composeUseful words: 机构, 结构
Common words for these 2 "to construct" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 建 (jiàn) — so "to construct" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
建议jiàn yìto propose; to suggest; to recommend; proposal建立jiàn lìto establish; to set up; to found建设jiàn shèto build; to construct; to establish; to develop机构jī gòumechanism; structure; organization; agency结构jié gòustructure; composition; makeup; architecture构成gòu chéngto constitute; to form; to compose; to make up
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 2 ways to say "to construct".
构 gòu — Broussonetia papyrifera; to construct; to form; to make up; to compose
这座房子的结构很坚固。Zhè zuò fáng zi de jié gòu hěn jiān gù.The structure of this house is very solid.
Common words: 机构 (jī gòu)、结构 (jié gòu)、构成 (gòu chéng)
All 2 characters
Open 建、构 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.