拼音
- chuān (first tone, high and level)
to pierce, to bore through; to pass through, to cross; to wear, to put on (clothes, shoes)
字形拆解
Ideographic description
⿱穴牙The sequence reads left to right and describes how the parts are arranged.
- 穴meaning partno entry yetA hole, a cave: what is bored through.
- 牙meaning partno entry yetA tooth, drawn as two interlocking molars: the thing that does the boring.
Mnemonic
A tooth 牙 boring through a hole 穴. From piercing come passing through — 穿过马路 to cross the road — and then dressing, because the body passes through the garment. Note the division of labour in clothing: 穿 for anything you put your body into (衣服, 鞋, 裤子), 戴 for anything you hang on it (帽子, 眼镜, 手表).
A memory aid written by HSK Guide editors. It is not an etymology and does not describe the historical origin of the character.