穿 meaning in English
to bore through; to pierce; to perforate; to go through (e.g. a tunnel); to cross (e.g. a street)
Meaning of 穿
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to bore through; to pierce; to perforate
- to go through (e.g. a tunnel); to cross (e.g. a street)
- to thread; to string together
- to wear; to put on (clothes, shoes etc.)
- verb complement indicating thoroughness or completion
How to use 穿
In everyday speech 穿 is the verb for wearing clothes, shoes and socks, and it also means to pass through a place, as in 穿过 (chuānguò). It can follow another verb to show something is seen or said all the way through, as in 看穿 (kànchuān, to see through). Example: 今天很冷，多穿一点。 (Jīntiān hěn lěng, duō chuān yìdiǎn.) It's cold today, wear a bit more.
穿 (chuān) is built from 穴 (xué, cave or hole) on top and 牙 (yá, tooth) below. Picture teeth biting a hole straight through something, which is the core idea of piercing or going through, and later of putting your body through clothes.
Common mistake: Learners often use 穿 for everything they wear, but hats, glasses, watches and jewelry usually take 戴 (dài), as in 戴帽子 (dài màozi, wear a hat). Also do not confuse 穿 with 川 (chuān, river), which has the same sound but a different meaning.
穿 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.
穿 chuān · to bore through · 9 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 穿.
| 穿上 | chuānshang | to put on (clothes etc) |
| 穿着 | chuānzhuó | attire; clothes; dress |
| 穿过 | chuānguò | to pass through |
| 穿越 | chuānyuè | to traverse; to pass through; to cross; time travel (as a genre of fiction) |
| 贯穿 | guànchuān | to run through; a connecting thread from beginning to end |
| 穿小鞋 | chuān xiǎoxié | to have one's life made difficult by sb (usu. by sb in a position of authority) (lit. to b |
| 看穿 | kànchuān | see through (a person, scheme, trick etc) |
| 穿梭 | chuānsuō | to shuttle back and forth |
| 揭穿 | jiēchuān | to expose; to uncover |
| 刺穿 | cìchuān | to skewer; to impale |
| 穿透 | chuāntòu | to penetrate |
| 身穿 | shēnchuān | to wear (a garment) |
Questions about 穿
What does 穿 mean?
穿 (chuān) means "to bore through; to pierce; to perforate; to go through (e.g. a tunnel); to cross (e.g. a street)" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 穿?
穿 is made of 1 character: 穿 (9 strokes). That is 9 strokes in total.
Is 穿 an HSK word?
Yes. 穿 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 穿 and 穿上?
穿 alone can describe wearing or the general act of dressing, as in 她穿红色的 (she wears red). 穿上 (chuānshang) stresses the action of putting something on, as in 快穿上外套 (put your coat on quickly).
What does 穿越 mean in Chinese TV and novels?
Besides its literal meaning of crossing or traversing, 穿越 (chuānyuè) names a popular fiction genre about time travel. A 穿越剧 is a drama where a modern character travels into the past.