准 meaning and stroke order
Accurate; standard; definitely
How to write 准, stroke by stroke
10 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
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
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- 9
- 10
Meaning of 准
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to allow
- to grant
- in accordance with
- in the light of
- accurate
- standard
How 准 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water in a spirit level.
冫 gives the meaning and 隹 hints at the sound.
Radical: 冫 (ice), shared by 26 characters on this site.
How to remember 准
The left part 冫 stands for water, as in the water inside a spirit level, and 隹 (zhuī) gives the sound. Picture a bird 隹 sitting perfectly level beside the water line, so everything is accurate and up to standard.
准 appears most often in words like 准备 (zhǔnbèi, to prepare), 准确 (zhǔnquè, accurate) and 准时 (zhǔnshí, on time). On its own it can mean to allow, often in the negative 不准 (bù zhǔn). Example: 这里不准抽烟。(Zhèlǐ bù zhǔn chōuyān.) Smoking is not allowed here.
Common mistake: Learners often write 准 with three dots 氵 on the left, but it has only two dots 冫. Another trap is confusing it with 谁 (shuí), which has the same 隹 but the speech radical 讠.
Common words with 准
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 准备 | zhǔnbèi | preparation; to prepare | HSK 1 |
| 准确 | zhǔnquè | accurate; exact; precise | HSK 2 |
| 标准 | biāozhǔn | standard; norm; criterion; (adjective) standard | HSK 3 |
| 批准 | pīzhǔn | to approve; to ratify | HSK 3 |
| 准时 | zhǔnshí | on time; punctual | HSK 4 |
| 不准 | bù zhǔn | not to allow; to forbid | HSK 7-9 |
| 瞄准 | miáozhǔn | to take aim at; to target | HSK 7-9 |
| 对准 | duìzhǔn | to aim at; to target | HSK 7-9 |
| 准许 | zhǔnxǔ | to allow; to grant | HSK 7-9 |
| 水准 | shuǐzhǔn | level (of achievement etc); standard | HSK 7-9 |
| 准则 | zhǔnzé | norm; standard | HSK 7-9 |
| 没准儿 | méizhǔnr | erhua variant of 沒準|没准[mei2 zhun3] | HSK 7-9 |
| 基准 | jīzhǔn | (surveying) datum; standard; criterion; benchmark | HSK 7-9 |
| 没准 | méizhǔn | not sure; maybe |
准 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 准
How many strokes are in 准?
准 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 准 mean?
准 (zhǔn) means accurate; standard; definitely. A common word with it is 准备 (zhǔnbèi), meaning "preparation; to prepare".
How do you pronounce 准?
准 is pronounced zhǔn, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 准?
The radical of 准 is 冫, which carries the idea of "ice". Dictionaries list 准 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 准?
The traditional form of 准 is 準. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 准 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 准 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 准 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
What is the difference between 准 and 准备?
准 alone usually means accurate or to allow, as in 不准 (bù zhǔn, not allowed). 准备 (zhǔnbèi) is a separate word meaning to prepare or preparation. You cannot use 准 by itself to mean prepare.
Can 准 mean accurate on its own?
Yes. You can say 他的手表很准 (tā de shǒubiǎo hěn zhǔn), his watch is very accurate. In colloquial speech 说不准 (shuō bu zhǔn) means it is hard to say for sure.