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穿

to wear / to pierce through

chuān
9 strokes · 穴 (cave) + 牙 (tooth) — a tooth boring through the cave wall · HSK 2

Where 穿 comes from

穿 sets a tooth 牙 under the cave radical 穴: gnawing through. To pierce came first; clothing followed — you 'pierce' your head and arms through a garment.

穿 in Chinese culture

穿 dresses and drills: 穿衣服 (put on clothes — note the logic: clothes are 穿-ed, hats and accessories are 戴-ed, a distinction learners drill), 穿过 (pass through — streets, tunnels, forests). 看穿 is to see through someone's act; 穿越 powers China's beloved time-travel drama genre (穿越剧) — piercing through dynasties for love. Getting dressed and breaking through: one character does both every morning.

Example

穿衣服 chuān yīfu — to put on clothes

今天冷,多穿一点。
Jīntiān lěng, duō chuān yìdiǎn.
It's cold today — wear more.

How to remember it

A tooth 牙 boring through 穴 — PIERCE through; slip THROUGH your clothes: WEAR.

穿越剧 'pierce-through dramas' — the time-travel romance genre — takes its name from this character's drilling power.

Same sound, different tones

穿
1st chuān
to wear
2nd chuán
boat
4th chuàn
skewer / string

Words unlocked by 穿

穿衣服 chuān yīfu
put on clothes
穿过 chuānguò
pass through
看穿 kànchuān
see through
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One character a morning · 169-character HSK library · iOS