间 jiān
“between; among; within a definite time or space”
measure word, locality word, verb2021 list level 1Traditional 間
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
间 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 366: 间 jiān — Level 2; official annotation 2（4） (量、（名）). PDF page 89
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 间
As a classifier read jiān, 间 counts rooms, sections of a building, and room-like commercial spaces: 一间卧室, 两间教室, 一间咖啡馆; the same reading also occurs in 中间/之间 (between, among) and as a noun morpheme meaning "room" in 房间. A separate reading jiàn (as in 间断, 间隔) means a gap or to separate and is not the everyday HSK 2 sense.
例句Example sentences
- 我家有三间卧室。wǒ jiā yǒu sān jiān wò shì.My home has three bedrooms.
- 这间房间很干净。zhè jiān fáng jiān hěn gān jìng.This room is very clean.
- 学校旁边新开了一间咖啡馆。xué xiào páng biān xīn kāi le yì jiān kā fēi guǎn.A new café has opened next to the school.
易混词Easily confused
间vs个
个 is a general classifier and can also occur with 房间/卧室, but 间 specifically counts rooms and spaces and is more precise for classrooms: 一间教室 is more precise than 一个教室.
义项All meanings
- jiān: between; among; within a definite time or space; room; section of a room or lateral space between two pairs of pillars; classifier for rooms
- jiàn: gap; to separate; to thin out (seedlings); to sow discontent