钻

鑚/鑽

zuàn, zuān

占 + 钅

HSK 3.0Level 6

Definitions

zuān (verb) to drill; to bore; to get into; to make one's way through

zuàn (noun) drill bit

zuàn (noun) diamond

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 钅 represents the meaning and 占 represents the sound. Simplified form of 鑽.

Semantic: 钅 Phonetic: 占

About

钻 is a phonosemantic compound: 钅 (metal) provides the meaning, pointing to a metal tool, while 占 (zhàn) indicates the sound. It is the simplified form of 鑽, where the phonetic was 贊 (zàn, meaning 'support' or 'praise'). The character denotes a drill and the action of drilling through hard materials. It also commonly means diamond, and is used figuratively for intense study or deep research.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他钻了一个小洞。

Tā zuānle yī gè xiǎo dòng.

He drilled a small hole.

工人用钻机钻岩石。

Gōngrén yòng zuànjī zuān yánshí.

The worker uses a drilling machine to drill into rock.

钻石是非常坚硬的。

Zuànshí shì fēicháng jiānyìng de.

Diamonds are very hard.

她喜欢戴钻石戒指。

Tā xǐhuān dài zuànshí jièzhi.

She likes to wear diamond rings.

钻探队发现了石油。

Zuāntàn duì fāxiànle shíyóu.

The drilling team discovered oil.

这本书钻研得很深入。

Zhè běn shū zuānyán de hěn shēnrù.

This book is studied very deeply.

他钻法律漏洞以牟利。

Tā zuān fǎlǜ lòudòng yǐ móulì.

He exploits legal loopholes for profit.

地质学家钻取了地壳样本。

Dìzhìxuéjiā zuànqǔle dìqiào yàngběn.

Geologists drilled and obtained crust samples.

Related Characters

Component: 占

Component: 钅

钻