Meaning of 准
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- accurate
- standard
- definitely
- certainly
- about to become (bride, son-in-law etc)
- quasi-
- para-
- to allow
- to grant
- in accordance with
- in the light of
How to use 准
准 works on its own as an adjective meaning accurate, as in 他说得很准 (tā shuō de hěn zhǔn, what he said was spot on), and as a verb meaning to allow, often in the negative 不准. It also appears in many common words like 准备 (zhǔnbèi, to prepare) and 准时 (zhǔnshí, on time). Example: 这里不准抽烟。(Zhèlǐ bù zhǔn chōuyān.) Smoking is not allowed here.
Picture the two-dot ice radical 冫 next to 隹 (zhuī), a short-tailed bird. To hit a small bird you must aim accurately, so 准 means accurate, and once your aim is approved you are allowed to shoot.
Common mistake: Learners often write 准 with three dots 氵 instead of two 冫. Writing it with three dots gives 淮 (huái), as in the Huai River. Also remember 准备 means to prepare, not to allow, so do not read 准 there as permission.
准 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.
准 zhǔn · accurate · 10 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 准.
| 准备 | zhǔnbèi | preparation; to prepare |
| 准确 | zhǔnquè | accurate; exact; precise |
| 标准 | biāozhǔn | standard; norm; criterion; (adjective) standard |
| 批准 | pīzhǔn | to approve; to ratify |
| 准时 | zhǔnshí | on time; punctual |
| 不准 | bù zhǔn | not to allow; to forbid |
| 瞄准 | miáozhǔn | to take aim at; to target |
| 对准 | duìzhǔn | to aim at; to target |
| 准许 | zhǔnxǔ | to allow; to grant |
| 水准 | shuǐzhǔn | level (of achievement etc); standard |
| 准则 | zhǔnzé | norm; standard |
| 没准儿 | méizhǔnr | erhua variant of 沒準|没准[mei2 zhun3] |
Questions about 准
What does 准 mean?
准 (zhǔn) means "accurate; standard" and is used as a adjective and adverb.
How do you write 准?
准 is made of 1 character: 准 (10 strokes). That is 10 strokes in total.
Is 准 an HSK word?
Yes. 准 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 准 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 准 is written 準.
What does 准 mean before words like 新娘 or 女婿?
It means about to become or soon-to-be. 准新娘 (zhǔn xīnniáng) is a bride-to-be, and 准女婿 (zhǔn nǚxu) is a future son-in-law.
How is 准 different from 可以 when giving permission?
可以 (kěyǐ) is the everyday, neutral way to say something is allowed. 准 sounds more official or strict, like a rule or an authority granting permission, and 不准 is common on signs and in firm prohibitions.