傳 meaning and stroke order
To pass on; to propagate; to transmit; summons
How to write 傳, stroke by stroke
13 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
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- 5
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- 13
Meaning of 傳
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to pass on
- to spread
- to transmit
- to infect
- to transfer
- to circulate
- biography
- historical narrative
- commentaries
- relay station
How 傳 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. People.
亻 gives the meaning and 專 hints at the sound.
Radical: 亻 (man), shared by 277 characters on this site.
How to remember 傳
傳 is a person 亻 beside 專 (zhuān), which gives the sound. Picture people passing a message from one person to the next, which is what 傳 (chuán) means: to pass on.
傳 (chuán) appears in many words about spreading or handing down, such as 傳統 (chuántǒng) tradition and 傳說 (chuánshuō) legend. In mainland China it is written 传. Example: 這個消息傳得很快。(Zhège xiāoxi chuán de hěn kuài.) This news spread very fast.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 傳 (chuán) with 轉 (zhuǎn, to turn), which shares the 專 part but uses the cart radical 車. Also remember that 傳 is read zhuàn, not chuán, when it means biography, as in 自傳 (zìzhuàn) autobiography.
Common words with 傳
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 傳說 | chuánshuō | legend; folk tale; to repeat from mouth to mouth; they say that... | HSK 3 |
| 宣傳 | xuānchuán | to disseminate; to give publicity to | HSK 3 |
| 傳播 | chuánbō | to disseminate; to propagate; to spread | HSK 3 |
| 傳來 | chuánlái | (of a sound) to come through; to be heard | HSK 3 |
| 傳統 | chuántǒng | tradition; traditional | HSK 4 |
| 遺傳 | yíchuán | heredity; to inherit (a trait) | HSK 4 |
| 流傳 | liúchuán | to spread; to circulate; to hand down | HSK 4 |
| 傳達 | chuándá | to pass on; to convey | HSK 5 |
| 傳遞 | chuándì | to transmit; to pass on to sb else; (math.) transitive | HSK 5 |
| 傳真 | chuánzhēn | to fax; a fax | HSK 5 |
| 傳言 | chuányán | rumor; hearsay | HSK 6 |
| 傳輸 | chuánshū | to transmit; transmission | HSK 6 |
| 傳出 | chuánchū | to transmit outwards; to disseminate | HSK 6 |
| 傳媒 | chuánméi | the media; mass media; (epidemiology) medium or route of transmission (of a disease) | HSK 6 |
Questions about 傳
How many strokes are in 傳?
傳 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 傳 mean?
傳 (chuán) means to pass on; to propagate; to transmit; summons. A common word with it is 传说 (chuánshuō), meaning "legend; folk tale; to repeat from mouth to mouth; they say that...".
How do you pronounce 傳?
傳 is pronounced chuán, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 傳?
The radical of 傳 is 亻, which carries the idea of "man". Dictionaries list 傳 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 傳?
傳 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 传, used in mainland China and Singapore.
When is 傳 pronounced zhuàn instead of chuán?
Use zhuàn when 傳 is a noun for a written life story or historical narrative, as in 傳記 (zhuànjì) biography or 自傳 (zìzhuàn) autobiography. For verbs like passing on, spreading, or transmitting, it is chuán.
Can 傳 mean to infect or to spread a disease?
Yes. 傳 covers passing an illness from one person to another, as in 傳染 (chuánrǎn) to infect or be contagious. 遺傳 (yíchuán) uses the same idea of passing something on, here traits from parents to children.