Definitions
(verb)
to station (troops); to store up
(noun)
village
(adjective)
difficult
Etymology
Depicts a recently germinated plant. Based on the original meaning "sprout". The meaning later expanded to "gather", "guard", "station", and "village".
About
The character "屯" originates from an early pictographic representation of a sprout struggling to emerge through the soil, a concept visually conveyed by the component "屮" depicting a young plant and a horizontal line or enclosure symbolizing the earth. This initial meaning of germination and difficulty naturally extended to signify the act of gathering or storing, as seeds are collected and held, giving rise to its use in words like "屯粮" meaning to store grain. Over centuries, this sense of accumulation and consolidation further developed to denote a stationed or fortified settlement, particularly a military outpost where troops and supplies were gathered, as seen in historical terms like "屯兵". Its traditional form is identical in this case, and the core idea of concentrated gathering, whether of forces, goods, or even people in a village, remains central to its modern semantic field.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
部队在山脚下安营屯兵。
这里以前是个屯垦戍边的地方。
他们在边境线上屯驻了重兵。
这个屯子里的居民都很热情。
农民们在地窖里屯了许多粮食。
政府下令屯粮以备不时之需。
他在电脑里屯了很多电影。
我们要为过冬屯一些蔬菜。