拴 meaning and stroke order
To tie up
How to write 拴, stroke by stroke
9 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 拴
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to tie up
How 拴 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hand.
扌 gives the meaning and 全 hints at the sound.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 拴
拴 is a hand 扌 next to 全 (quán, whole). Picture your hand tying a rope so the whole thing stays in place, and let 全 remind you of the sound shuān.
拴 means to tie something to a fixed point with a rope or chain. It is used for animals, boats, and other things you tether, and it often appears as 拴住 (shuānzhù). Example: 把狗拴在树上。(Bǎ gǒu shuān zài shù shang.) Tie the dog to the tree.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 拴 with 栓 (shuān, plug or bolt), which has the wood radical 木 and is a noun, as in 门栓 (door bolt). Use 拴 with 扌 for the action of tying.
Common words with 拴
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 拴住 | shuānzhù | to tether; to tie up |
拴 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 拴
How many strokes are in 拴?
拴 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 拴 mean?
拴 (shuān) means to tie up. A common word with it is 拴住 (shuānzhù), meaning "to tether; to tie up".
How do you pronounce 拴?
拴 is pronounced shuān, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 拴?
The radical of 拴 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 拴 under this radical.
Is 拴 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 拴 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 拴 and 绑 (bǎng)?
拴 means tying something to a fixed point so it cannot wander off, like tethering a horse. 绑 means binding or wrapping something up tightly, like tying someone's hands or bundling objects together.
Can 拴 be used figuratively?
Yes. 拴住 can mean to hold on to someone or keep them from leaving, as in 拴住他的心 (shuānzhù tā de xīn), to win and keep his heart.