Definitions

guàn (verb) to irrigate; to pour
guàn (verb) to install (software)
guàn (verb) to record (music)

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character 灌, maintaining its traditional form without simplification, is structurally defined by the water radical 氵 combined with the phonetic element 雚, a construction that inherently links it to activities involving liquid. Its etymology centers on the concrete action of pouring water, primarily for agricultural purposes such as irrigation, a meaning preserved in classical and modern compounds like 灌溉. From this tangible origin, the character’s application broadened over time to encompass more abstract forms of channeling or filling, whether referring to the flow of liquids into containers, the instillation of ideas, or even contemporary technical processes like broadcasting, thereby demonstrating a semantic evolution from physical hydraulics to metaphorical conveyance while its morphological composition remained constant.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我每天给花水。

Wǒ měi tiān gěi huā guàn shuǐ.

I water the flowers every day.

农民溉农田。

Nóngmín guàngài nóngtián.

Farmers irrigate the farmland.

老师向我们输知识。

Lǎoshī xiàng wǒmen guànshū zhīshì.

The teacher instills knowledge in us.

他喜欢在论坛上水。

Tā xǐhuān zài lùntán shàng guànshuǐ.

He likes to post frivolous content on forums.

他在比赛中精彩篮。

Tā zài bǐsài zhōng jīngcǎi guànlán.

He made a spectacular dunk during the game.

他们昨晚醉了他。

Tāmen zuó wǎn guànzuì le tā.

They got him drunk last night.

乐队录了新专辑。

Yuèduì guànlù le xīn zhuānjí.

The band recorded a new album.

不断输积极思想对孩子很重要。

Bùduàn guànshū jījí sīxiǎng duì háizi hěn zhòngyào.

Constantly instilling positive thoughts is very important for children.