圳 meaning and stroke order
A furrow in a field; a small drainage ditch
How to write 圳, stroke by stroke
6 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
- 6
Meaning of 圳
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (dialect) drainage ditch between fields (Taiwan pr. [zun4])
- used in place names, notably 深圳[Shen1 zhen4]
How 圳 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A furrow cut in the earth 土 by a stream 川; 川 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 土 (soil), shared by 183 characters on this site.
How to remember 圳
On the left is earth 土 (tǔ), on the right is a stream 川 (chuān). Picture water running through a channel cut into the soil, and you have a ditch between fields.
Today 圳 (zhèn) is almost only seen in place names, above all the city of Shenzhen. As a word for a field ditch it survives mainly in southern dialects and in Taiwan. Example: 我在深圳工作。(Wǒ zài Shēnzhèn gōngzuò.) I work in Shenzhen.
Common mistake: Learners often say Shēnzhēn with two first tones, but the second syllable is fourth tone: Shēnzhèn. Also do not confuse 圳 with 川 (chuān, river) or 州 (zhōu, prefecture), which share the three vertical strokes.
Questions about 圳
How many strokes are in 圳?
圳 is written with 6 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 圳 mean?
圳 (zhèn) means a furrow in a field; a small drainage ditch.
How do you pronounce 圳?
圳 is pronounced zhèn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 圳?
The radical of 圳 is 土, which carries the idea of "soil". Dictionaries list 圳 under this radical.
Why is it pronounced zhèn if 川 is chuān?
The etymology says 川 gives the sound, but sounds have shifted over time, so the match is only partial. In Taiwan the character is read zùn instead of zhèn.
What does the name 深圳 (Shēnzhèn) mean?
Taken literally, it means deep ditch. The name comes from 深 (shēn, deep) and 圳 (zhèn, a drainage ditch between fields).