监狱 jiānyù

1. Jail (prision)

These meanings come from the same dictionary that powers the Chinese to Pinyin translator and the Chinese to English translator, so a whole sentence containing 监狱 will read it the same way this page does.

监狱 is written with 2 characters. Chinese words are usually easier to remember once you can see what each part contributes.

These are also written jianyu without tone marks. Tones and context are what keep them apart — which is why the tone is part of the word, not an accent on it.

Train the difference in the Tone Trainer or the Similar Sounds Quiz.

What does 监狱 mean in English?

监狱 is pronounced jiānyù and means Jail (prision).

How do you pronounce 监狱?

监狱 is jiānyù in pinyin — written jianyu without tone marks. Press the audio button on this page to hear it spoken by a native voice.

What are the characters in 监狱?

监狱 is written with 2 characters: 监 (jiān) Supervise (prision - jail - inspector), 狱 (yù) Prison (lawsuit). Knowing the parts is usually how the whole word becomes memorable.

How is 监狱 written in traditional Chinese?

監獄. The simplified form 监狱 is used in mainland China and Singapore; 監獄 is used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. Both are pronounced jiānyù.

Is 监狱 an HSK word?

Yes — 监狱 is on the official HSK 6 vocabulary list. You can study it with the rest of that list on the HSK 6 page.