Definitions

chuàn (verb) to string together; to skewer
chuàn (noun) string; bunch; series
chuàn (verb) to move swiftly in a line

Etymology

Pictograph of two objects on a skewer strung together.

About

串 is a straightforward ideogram visually depicting items pierced or strung together. It consists of two 口 components, representing generic objects, vertically threaded by a single stroke 丨. This structure originates from depicting a skewer for meat or a string for tying coins, leading to its core meanings: as a verb for stringing or connecting things, and as a classifier for bunches or clusters. These uses later expanded to include notions of collusion or ganging up.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Shang dynasty (~1100 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Shang dynasty (~1100 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他买了一葡萄。

Tā mǎi le yī chuàn pútáo.

He bought a bunch of grapes.

孩子们在珠子玩。

Háizimen zài chuàn zhūzi wán.

The children are stringing beads to play.

羊肉在街上很香。

Yángròu chuàn zài jiē shàng hěn xiāng.

The lamb skewers smell delicious on the street.

这些事件是在一起的。

Zhèxiē shìjiàn shì chuàn zài yīqǐ de.

These events are linked together.

她不小心说了台词。

Tā bù xiǎoxīn shuō chuàn le táicí.

She accidentally mixed up her lines.

这个想法像一珍珠。

Zhège xiǎngfǎ xiàng yī chuàn zhēnzhū.

This idea is like a string of pearls.

他把几个会议联起来。

Tā bǎ jǐ gè huìyì chuànlián qǐlái.

He linked several meetings together.

数据以字符形式存储。

Shùjù yǐ zìfú chuàn xíngshì cúnchǔ.

The data is stored in the form of a character string.