滚 meaning and stroke order
To boil; to roll; to take a hike
How to write 滚, 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
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
Meaning of 滚
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to boil
- to roll
- to take a hike
- Get lost!
How 滚 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water.
氵 gives the meaning and 衮 hints at the sound.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 滚
The water radical 氵 on the left shows the meaning: water rolling and churning as it boils. The right part 衮 (gǔn) gives the sound, so 滚 (gǔn) is "water that rolls."
滚 (gǔn) describes things rolling or tumbling, liquid coming to a rolling boil, and, said alone to a person, a rude "Get lost." It also appears in everyday words like 滚动 (gǔndòng, to roll or scroll) and 摇滚 (yáogǔn, rock music). Example: 球滚到桌子下面了。(Qiú gǔn dào zhuōzi xiàmiàn le.) The ball rolled under the table.
Common mistake: Learners often write the right side like 衣 with nothing in the middle, forgetting that 衮 has 公 tucked inside the split 衣. Also be careful saying 滚 or 滚开 to someone, because it is a harsh insult, not a casual "go away."
Common words with 滚
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 摇滚 | yáogǔn | rock 'n' roll (music); to rock | HSK 7-9 |
| 滚动 | gǔndòng | to roll; (to do sth) in a loop | HSK 7-9 |
| 连滚带爬 | liángǔn-dàipá | (idiom) stumbling and crawling; scrambling; frantically trying to escape | HSK 7-9 |
| 滚开 | gǔnkāi | (of a liquid) to boil; boiling hot; (rude) get out!; go away!; fuck off! | |
| 滚蛋 | gǔndàn | (slang) get out of here!; beat it! | |
| 摇滚乐 | yáogǔnyuè | rock music; rock 'n roll | |
| 屁滚尿流 | pìgǔnniàoliú | to piss one's pants in terror (idiom); scared witless | |
| 翻滚 | fāngǔn | to roll; to boil | |
| 打滚 | dǎgǔn | to roll about | |
| 滚烫 | gǔntàng | boiling hot | |
| 滚滚 | Gǔngǔn | to surge on; to roll on |
滚 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 滚
How many strokes are in 滚?
滚 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 滚 mean?
滚 (gǔn) means to boil; to roll; to take a hike. A common word with it is 摇滚 (yáogǔn), meaning "rock 'n' roll (music); to rock".
How do you pronounce 滚?
滚 is pronounced gǔn, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 滚?
The radical of 滚 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 滚 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 滚?
The traditional form of 滚 is 滾. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 滚 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 滚 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 滚 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
Is 滚 always rude?
No. In sentences about balls, wheels, boiling water or scrolling text it is completely neutral. It is only rude when you shout it at a person, as in 滚 or 滚蛋 (gǔndàn).
How do you say water is boiling hot with 滚?
You can say 滚烫 (gǔntàng) for something scalding hot, or 水滚了 (shuǐ gǔn le) for "the water is boiling." 滚开 (gǔnkāi) can also mean a liquid has come to a full boil.