穿

Etymology & Components

The Chinese character 穿 (chuān) is composed of two parts: the radical 糸 (mì) and the phonetic component 舛 (chuǎn). The radical 糸 represents thread or silk, while the phonetic component 舛 indicates the sound of the character.The original meaning of 穿 was "to thread a needle." This meaning is still used today, as in the phrase 穿针引线 (chuān zhēn yǐn xiàn), which means "to thread a needle and lead the thread through."Over time, the meaning of 穿 expanded to include other ways of putting on or taking off clothing. For example, it can be used to mean "to wear" (as in 穿衣服, chuān yīfu), "to take off" (as in 脱衣服, tuō yīfu), or "to change clothes" (as in 换衣服, huàn yīfu).穿 can also be used in a more figurative sense. For example, it can be used to mean "to penetrate" (as in 子弹穿透了墙壁, zǐdàn chuāntòu le qíbiànɡ), "to pass through" (as in 火车穿过了隧道, huǒchē chuānguò le suìdào), or "to go through" (as in 经历了风雨, jīnglì le fēngyǔ).The character 穿 is a versatile character with a rich history. It is a useful character to know for anyone who wants to learn Chinese.