剑

Meaning of 剑

剑 (jiàn) is the straight double-edged sword — the weapon of scholars, heroes, and immortals in Chinese tradition. Distinct from the single-edged curved sabre 刀 (dāo).

To say Sword in Chinese, pronounce 剑 as Jiàn. The marks over the letters show the tones — the pitch contour that distinguishes Mandarin syllables.