Meaning of 牵
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to lead along
- to pull (an animal on a tether)
- (bound form) to involve
- to draw in
How to use 牵
As a verb, 牵 means to lead someone or something by the hand or by a rope, like a child, a dog, or a horse. In compounds it often means to draw in or involve, as in 牵连 (qiānlián) and 牵涉 (qiānshè). Example: 妈妈牵着孩子的手过马路。(Māma qiānzhe háizi de shǒu guò mǎlù.) Mom leads the child across the street by the hand.
The bottom of 牵 is 牛 (niú, ox), and the top part looks like a rope looped over its head. Picture yourself holding that rope and leading an ox along.
Common mistake: Learners often use 拉 (lā) and 牵 interchangeably, but 拉 is a strong pull, while 牵 is a gentle leading where the other person or animal walks with you. Saying 拉手 sounds like tugging, so for holding hands as a couple, say 牵手 (qiānshǒu).
牵 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.
牵 qiān · to lead along · 9 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 牵.
| 牵扯 | qiānchě | to involve; to implicate; to be interrelated |
| 牵涉 | qiānshè | to involve; implicated |
| 牵制 | qiānzhì | to control; to curb |
| 牵挂 | qiānguà | to worry about; to be concerned about |
| 牵头 | qiāntóu | to lead (an animal by the head); to take the lead |
| 牵连 | qiānlián | to implicate; implicated |
| 牵涉到 | qiānshèdào | to involve; to drag in |
| 牵手 | qiānshǒu | to hold hands |
| 牵引 | qiānyǐn | to pull; to draw (a cart); to tow |
| 手牵手 | shǒuqiānshǒu | hand in hand |
| 牵强 | qiānqiǎng | far-fetched; implausible (chain of reasoning) |
| 牵绊 | qiānbàn | to bind; to yoke |
Questions about 牵
What does 牵 mean?
牵 (qiān) means "to lead along; to pull (an animal on a tether)" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 牵?
牵 is made of 1 character: 牵 (9 strokes). That is 9 strokes in total.
Is 牵 an HSK word?
Yes. 牵 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 牵 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 牵 is written 牽.
What does 牵手 mean?
牵手 (qiānshǒu) means to hold hands, and it often suggests a romantic relationship or walking together. It can also mean two parties joining forces, for example two companies cooperating.
What is the difference between 牵挂 and 担心?
担心 (dānxīn) is general worry about a problem. 牵挂 (qiānguà) is a lingering, caring concern for someone you love who is far away, like parents thinking about a child living in another city.