Chinese symbol for “simple”
简单
jiǎn dān
Traditional: 簡單
simple; not complicated
The closest CC-CEDICT match for simple is 简单 (jiǎn dān), defined as: simple; not complicated.
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Characters and stroke order
Traditional forms
Other Chinese words for “simple”
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 单纯 (單純) | dān chún | simple; pure |
| 简 (簡) | jiǎn | simple; uncomplicated |
| 简略 (簡略) | jiǎn lüè | simple; brief |
| 简朴 (簡樸) | jiǎn pǔ | (of lifestyle, clothing, writing etc) simple; plain |
| 质朴 (質樸) | zhì pǔ | simple; plain |
Related words
Other words that share a character with 简单.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 简直 (簡直) | jiǎn zhí | simply; really |
| 简称 (簡稱) | jiǎn chēng | to be abbreviated to; abbreviation; short form |
| 简介 (簡介) | jiǎn jiè | summary; brief introduction |
| 简化 (簡化) | jiǎn huà | to simplify |
| 简历 (簡歷) | jiǎn lì | curriculum vitae (CV); résumé |
| 单位 (單位) | dān wèi | unit (of measure); unit (group of people as a whole) |
| 名单 (名單) | míng dān | list of names |
| 单独 (單獨) | dān dú | alone; by oneself |
See also: Japanese symbol for “simple”.
Data: CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0); Unihan Database (Unicode License v3); Make Me a Hanzi (Arphic Public License (graphics.txt); LGPL-3.0-or-later (dictionary.txt)); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.