qiān

to lead along; to pull; implicate

HSK Level 6

Example Sentences

牵着你的手,我感到很幸福。

qiān zhe nǐ de shǒu, wǒ gǎn dào hěn xìng fú.

Holding your hand, I feel very happy.

牵牛花是一种很美的花。

qiān niú huā shì yī zhǒng hěn měi de huā.

Morning glory is a very beautiful flower.

牵线搭桥,促成好事。

qiān xiàn dā qiáo, cù chéng hǎo shì.

To act as a go-between, to bring about a good thing.

Synonyms

Antonyms

(tuī)

push

(lā)

pull

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Etymology & Components

The Chinese character 牵 (qiān) is composed of two parts: the radical 扌(shǒu), which indicates that the character is related to hand or action, and the phonetic component 牽 (qiān), which gives the character its pronunciation. The original meaning of 牵 is "to pull" or "to lead," which can be seen in its use in words such as 牵牛 (qiānniú, "to lead a cow") and 牵手 (qiānshǒu, "to hold hands"). Over time, the meaning of 牵 has expanded to include other related concepts, such as "to involve" or "to affect," as in the phrase 牵连 (qiānlían, "to be implicated"). The character 牵 can also be used in a figurative sense, as in the phrase 牵肠挂肚 (qiānchángguàdù, "to be worried or anxious about someone").