竄 meaning and stroke order
To run away; to expel; to revise, to edit
How to write 竄, stroke by stroke
18 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 竄
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to flee
- to scuttle
- to exile or banish
- to amend or edit
How 竄 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A mouse 鼠 running out of its hole 穴.
Radical: 穴 (cave), shared by 46 characters on this site.
How to remember 竄
A mouse 鼠 (shǔ) darts out of its hole 穴 (xué) and scurries away. Picture that quick, sneaky scramble and you have 竄 (cuàn), to flee or scuttle.
竄 usually describes running off in a hurried, disorderly or sneaky way, often about thieves, animals, or enemies. It appears mostly in compounds like 逃竄 (táocuàn) and 亂竄 (luàncuàn). Example: 老鼠在屋裡亂竄。(Lǎoshǔ zài wū lǐ luàncuàn.) The mice are scurrying all over the room.
Common mistake: Learners often say this with the wrong tone or initial, like cuān or chuàn. It is fourth tone cuàn with a c sound, like ts in cats. Also do not confuse the simplified form 窜, which puts 串 (chuàn) under 穴, with 串 itself.
Common words with 竄
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 亂竄 | luàncuàn | to flee in disarray; to scatter | |
| 逃竄 | táocuàn | to run away; to flee in disarray |
Questions about 竄
How many strokes are in 竄?
竄 is written with 18 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 竄 mean?
竄 (cuàn) means to run away; to expel; to revise, to edit. A common word with it is 乱窜 (luàncuàn), meaning "to flee in disarray; to scatter".
How do you pronounce 竄?
竄 is pronounced cuàn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 竄?
The radical of 竄 is 穴, which carries the idea of "cave". Dictionaries list 竄 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 竄?
竄 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 窜, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Does 竄 have a negative feeling?
Yes, it usually sounds negative. It suggests fleeing like a pest or criminal, so you would not use it for someone calmly leaving. For neutral running away, 跑 (pǎo) or 離開 (líkāi) fits better.
How is 竄 used to mean edit or revise?
This sense appears in words like 竄改 (cuàngǎi), to tamper with or alter a text. It often implies changing something improperly, such as falsifying records or history.