Meaning of 镇
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to press down
- to calm
- to subdue
- to suppress
- to guard
- garrison
- small town
- to cool or chill (food or drinks)
How to use 镇
As a noun, 镇 means a small town, and it is also an official administrative level below a county. As a verb, it appears in words about calming or chilling, such as 镇定 (zhèndìng) and 冰镇 (bīngzhèn, ice-chilled). Example: 我住在一个小镇。 (Wǒ zhù zài yí gè xiǎozhèn.) I live in a small town.
镇 is made of 钅 (metal) and 真 (zhēn, true), which also hints at the sound. Picture a heavy, solid piece of metal pressing down on paper to hold it still. That is the core idea of pressing down and keeping things calm.
Common mistake: Learners often write the left side as 金 or mix 镇 up with 真 (zhēn), forgetting the metal radical and the fourth tone. Also, 镇 is not a big city. Use 城市 (chéngshì) for a city.
镇 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.
镇 zhèn · to press down · 15 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 镇.
| 城镇 | chéngzhèn | town; cities and towns |
| 镇定 | zhèndìng | calm; unperturbed |
| 小镇 | xiǎozhèn | small town; village |
| 镇子 | zhènzi | town; village |
| 镇静 | zhènjìng | calm; cool |
| 镇静剂 | zhènjìngjì | tranquilizer |
| 镇压 | zhènyā | suppression; repression |
| 镇长 | zhènzhǎng | town headman; mayor (of small town or village) |
| 镇定剂 | zhèndìngjì | tranquilizer; depressant |
| 市镇 | shìzhèn | small town |
| 冰镇 | bīngzhèn | iced |
Questions about 镇
What does 镇 mean?
镇 (zhèn) means "to press down; to calm" and is used as a verb and noun.
How do you write 镇?
镇 is made of 1 character: 镇 (15 strokes). That is 15 strokes in total.
Is 镇 an HSK word?
Yes. 镇 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 镇 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 镇 is written 鎮.
What does 冰镇 mean on a drinks menu?
冰镇 (bīngzhèn) means chilled with ice, so 冰镇啤酒 is ice-cold beer. This comes from the sense of 镇 meaning to cool food or drinks.
What is the difference between 镇定 and 镇静?
Both mean calm. 镇定 (zhèndìng) stresses staying composed and steady in a crisis. 镇静 (zhènjìng) leans toward being quiet and settled, and it is the word used in 镇静剂 (zhènjìngjì), tranquilizer.