Meaning of 串
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to string together
- to skewer
- to connect wrongly
- to gang up
- to rove
- string
- bunch
- skewer
How to use 串
As a measure word, 串 counts things on a string or in a bunch, like keys, grapes, or skewers of meat. As a verb it means to string together or to drop by, as in 串门 (chuànmén). Example: 我要两串羊肉串。(Wǒ yào liǎng chuàn yángròuchuàn.) I want two lamb skewers.
串 (chuàn) looks like two pieces of food stacked on one stick, with the vertical line running straight through them. Picture a kebab skewer and you have the meaning: things strung together.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write 串 like 中 with an extra box and stop the vertical stroke early. The final vertical line must pass through both boxes, just like a skewer. Also note the fourth tone, chuàn, not chuān as in 穿 (chuān, to wear).
串 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
串 chuàn · to string together · 7 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 串.
Questions about 串
What does 串 mean?
串 (chuàn) means "to string together; to skewer" and is used as a measure word and verb.
How do you write 串?
串 is made of 1 character: 串 (7 strokes). That is 7 strokes in total.
Is 串 an HSK word?
Yes. 串 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 串门 (chuànmén) mean, and is it casual?
串门 means to drop in on a neighbor or friend for a chat, usually without a formal invitation. It is very casual and common in daily speech, for example 有空来我家串门 (yǒu kòng lái wǒ jiā chuànmén), come by my place when you are free.
Can 串 mean something mixed up or wrong?
Yes. 串 can mean to connect wrongly, as when phone lines get crossed (电话串线 diànhuà chuànxiàn) or flavors mix. A related negative use is 串通 (chuàntōng), to collude or gang up secretly.