鎮 meaning and stroke order
Calm, composed; to control, to suppress
How to write 鎮, 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 鎮
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to press down
- to calm
- to subdue
- to suppress
- to guard
- garrison
How 鎮 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Metal.
釒 gives the meaning and 真 hints at the sound.
Radical: 釒 (gold), shared by 135 characters on this site.
How to remember 鎮
鎮 combines metal 釒 with 真 (zhēn), which gives the sound. Picture a heavy, genuine (真) piece of metal pressing down on paper so it stays calm and still. That helps you remember the senses "to press down" and "to calm."
鎮 appears in words about calm, like 鎮定 (zhèndìng) and 鎮靜 (zhènjìng), and in words about control, like 鎮壓 (zhènyā, to suppress). It also means "town," as in 城鎮 (chéngzhèn) and 小鎮 (xiǎozhèn). Example: 他住在一個小鎮。(Tā zhù zài yí gè xiǎozhèn.) He lives in a small town.
Common mistake: Learners often give it the first tone because the phonetic 真 is zhēn, but 鎮 is fourth tone, zhèn. Also do not confuse it with 慎 (shèn, careful), which has the heart radical instead of metal.
Common words with 鎮
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 城鎮 | chéngzhèn | town; cities and towns | HSK 6 |
| 鎮定 | zhèndìng | calm; unperturbed | HSK 7-9 |
| 小鎮 | xiǎozhèn | small town; village | |
| 鎮子 | zhènzi | town; village | |
| 鎮靜 | zhènjìng | calm; cool | |
| 鎮靜劑 | zhènjìngjì | tranquilizer | |
| 鎮壓 | zhènyā | suppression; repression | |
| 鎮長 | zhènzhǎng | town headman; mayor (of small town or village) | |
| 鎮定劑 | zhèndìngjì | tranquilizer; depressant | |
| 市鎮 | shìzhèn | small town | |
| 冰鎮 | bīngzhèn | iced |
Questions about 鎮
How many strokes are in 鎮?
鎮 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 鎮 mean?
鎮 (zhèn) means calm, composed; to control, to suppress. A common word with it is 城镇 (chéngzhèn), meaning "town; cities and towns".
How do you pronounce 鎮?
鎮 is pronounced zhèn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 鎮?
The radical of 鎮 is 釒, which carries the idea of "gold". Dictionaries list 鎮 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 鎮?
鎮 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 镇, used in mainland China and Singapore.
How is 鎮 different from 市 when talking about places?
鎮 (zhèn) is a town, smaller than a city. 市 (shì) is a city. In mainland China, 鎮 is also an official administrative level below the county.
What is the difference between 鎮定 and 鎮靜?
Both mean calm. 鎮定 (zhèndìng) stresses staying composed in a crisis, while 鎮靜 (zhènjìng) stresses a quiet, settled state and also appears in medical words like 鎮靜劑 (zhènjìngjì, tranquilizer).