钻 meaning and stroke order
To drill; to bore; to get into
How to write 钻, stroke by stroke
10 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 钻
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to drill
- to bore
- to get into
- to make one's way into
- to enter (a hole)
- to thread one's way through
- drill; auger
- diamond
- variant of 鑽|钻[zuan4]
How 钻 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Metal.
钅 gives the meaning and 占 hints at the sound.
Radical: 钅 (gold), shared by 223 characters on this site.
How to remember 钻
The metal radical 钅 points to a metal tool, and 占 (zhàn) gives the sound. Picture a metal drill bit that occupies (占) a spot and bores straight into it.
As a verb, 钻 (zuān) means to drill or to squeeze your way into something, and it is also used figuratively for digging deep into study, as in 钻研 (zuānyán). As a noun, read zuàn, it means a drill or a diamond, as in 钻石 (zuànshí). Example: 猫钻进了箱子里。(Māo zuānjìn le xiāngzi lǐ.) The cat crawled into the box.
Common mistake: Learners often use one tone for every word. The verb sense is first tone zuān (钻研, 钻井, 钻进), while the noun sense is fourth tone zuàn (钻石, 钻头, 钻戒). Also do not confuse 钻 with 站 (zhàn, to stand), which shares 占 but has 立 on the left.
Common words with 钻
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 钻石 | zuànshí | diamond | HSK 7-9 |
| 钻研 | zuānyán | to study meticulously; to delve into | HSK 7-9 |
| 钻空子 | zuān kòngzi | to take advantage of a loophole; to exploit an advantage; to seize the opportunity (esp. t | HSK 7-9 |
| 钻进 | zuānjìn | to get into; to dig into (studies, job etc) | |
| 钻头 | zuàntóu | drill bit | |
| 钻井 | zuānjǐng | to drill (e.g. for oil); a borehole | |
| 钻戒 | zuànjiè | diamond ring | |
| 钻洞 | zuāndòng | to bore; to burrow | |
| 钻探 | zuāntàn | to conduct exploratory drilling | |
| 钻孔 | zuānkǒng | to bore a hole; to drill |
钻 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 钻
How many strokes are in 钻?
钻 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 钻 mean?
钻 (zuān) means to drill; to bore; to get into. A common word with it is 钻石 (zuànshí), meaning "diamond".
How do you pronounce 钻?
钻 is pronounced zuān, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 钻?
The radical of 钻 is 钅, which carries the idea of "gold". Dictionaries list 钻 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 钻?
The traditional form of 钻 is 鑚 and 鑽. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 钻 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 钻 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 钻 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 钻空子 mean and is it negative?
钻空子 (zuān kòngzi) literally means to drill into a gap. It means to exploit a loophole and usually sounds negative, as if someone is taking unfair advantage.
How do you say diamond ring in Chinese?
A diamond ring is 钻戒 (zuànjiè), short for 钻石戒指 (zuànshí jièzhi). Both use the fourth tone zuàn because they refer to the diamond itself.