灌 meaning and stroke order
To irrigate; to pour; to install (software)
How to write 灌, stroke by stroke
20 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
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
Meaning of 灌
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to irrigate
- to pour
- to install (software)
- to record (music)
How 灌 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water.
氵 gives the meaning and 雚 hints at the sound.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 灌
The water radical 氵 on the left tells you the meaning: pouring or flooding with water. The right part 雚 (guàn) gives the sound, so think of water being poured in a heavy stream, guàn.
灌 means to pour liquid into something, often in large amounts, as in 灌溉 (guàngài, to irrigate) or 灌醉 (guànzuì, to get someone drunk). It also appears in fixed words like 灌木 (guànmù, shrub) and the sports term 灌篮 (guànlán, slam dunk). Example: 农民用河水灌溉农田。(Nóngmín yòng héshuǐ guàngài nóngtián.) Farmers irrigate the fields with river water.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 灌 with 罐 (guàn, jar or can) and 观 (guān, to look), because the traditional form of 观 is 觀 and shares the 雚 part. Remember that only 灌 has the water radical 氵 because it is about pouring.
Common words with 灌
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
灌 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 灌
How many strokes are in 灌?
灌 is written with 20 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 灌 mean?
灌 (guàn) means to irrigate; to pour; to install (software). A common word with it is 灌输 (guànshū), meaning "to imbue with; to inculcate".
How do you pronounce 灌?
灌 is pronounced guàn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 灌?
The radical of 灌 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 灌 under this radical.
Is 灌 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 灌 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 灌输 mean, and is it negative?
灌输 (guànshū) means to instill ideas or knowledge into someone. It can be neutral, but it often suggests forcing ideas on people, a bit like the English word indoctrinate.
Why is 灌 used for slam dunk in 灌篮?
In 灌篮 (guànlán), the player forcefully pours the ball down into the basket (篮 lán). The image of pouring something in from above matches the action of dunking.