穿 chuān — to wear, to put on (clothes, shoes)

Meanings

1. 1

   to wear, to put on (clothes, shoes)

   To wear or put on things the body goes into — clothes, trousers, shoes. Hats, glasses and watches take 戴 instead, a distinction Chinese keeps strictly.

   verb

Character breakdown

• 穿

  chuān (first tone, high and level)

  to pierce, to bore through; to pass through, to cross; to wear, to put on (clothes, shoes)

  9 strokes⿱穴牙Radical 穴

Example sentences

• 今天很冷，你穿这件衣服吧。/今天很冷，你穿這件衣服吧。Jīntiān (first tone, high and level) hěn (third tone, dipping) lěng, (third tone, dipping) nǐ (third tone, dipping) chuān (first tone, high and level) zhè (fourth tone, falling) jiàn (fourth tone, falling) yīfu (first tone, high and level) ba. (neutral tone)···

  It’s cold today — put this on.

• 她今天穿了一件新衣服。Tā (first tone, high and level) jīntiān (first tone, high and level) chuānle (first tone, high and level) yí (second tone, rising) jiàn (fourth tone, falling) xīn (first tone, high and level) yīfu. (first tone, high and level)···

  She’s wearing new clothes today.

Common mistakes

• Not quite我今天穿红。

  Correct我今天穿红衣服。

  穿 needs a garment as its object, not a bare colour word. Say what you are wearing — 红衣服 — the way you would say 新衣服.

Similar words