穿 chuān — to bore through; pierce; perforate; penetrate; pass through; to dress
今天很冷，多穿一件外套吧。Jīn tiān hěn lěng, duō chuān yí jiàn wài tào ba.It is cold today; put on an extra coat.
Common words: 穿上 (chuān shang)、穿越 (chuān yuè)、穿过 (chuān guò)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "pierce"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "pierce", including 穿 (chuān), 刺 (cì), 贯 (guàn), 插 (chā). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "pierce" covers 4 different Chinese characters — 穿 (chuān), 刺 (cì), 贯 (guàn), 插 (chā) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 4 characters do not share a sound — their readings span chuān, cì, guàn, chā — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 穿 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 穿 chuānto bore through; pierce; perforate; penetrate; pass through; to dressUseful words: 穿上, 穿越
- 刺 cìthorn; sting; prick; pierce; stab; thrustUseful words: 刺激, 讽刺
- 贯 guànpierce; to stringUseful words: 一贯, 贯彻
- 插 chāinsert; stick in; pierce; to take part in; to interfere; to interposeUseful words: 插手, 插图
Common words for these 4 "pierce" characters
Anchor each of these 4 characters in a word you can picture — start with 穿 (chuān) — so "pierce" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
穿上chuān shangto put on (clothes etc)穿越chuān yuèto pass through; to traverse; to cross穿过chuān guòto pass through刺激cì jīto provoke; to irritate; to upset; to stimulate讽刺fěng cìto satirize; to mock; irony; satire冲刺chōng cì(sports) to sprint; to spurt; to dash; to put in a big effort to achieve a goal as the deadline approaches一贯yī guànconsistent; constant; from start to finish; all along贯彻guàn chèto implement; to put into practice; to carry out籍贯jí guànone's ancestral home (registered place of family origin, typically inherited patrilineally and recorded in official documents)插手chā shǒuto get involved in; to meddle; interference
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 4 ways to say "pierce".
刺 cì — thorn; sting; prick; pierce; stab; thrust
玫瑰花虽然美丽，但有刺。Méi gui huā suī rán měi lì, dàn yǒu cì.Although roses are beautiful, they have thorns.
Common words: 刺激 (cì jī)、讽刺 (fěng cì)、冲刺 (chōng cì)
贯 guàn — pierce; to string
这条新修的公路贯穿了整座城市。Zhè tiáo xīn xiū de gōng lù guàn chuān le zhěng zuò chéng shì.This newly built highway runs through the whole city.
Common words: 一贯 (yī guàn)、贯彻 (guàn chè)、籍贯 (jí guàn)
插 chā — insert; stick in; pierce; to take part in; to interfere; to interpose
她在花瓶里插了几枝鲜花。Tā zài huā píng lǐ chā le jǐ zhī xiān huā.She arranged a few fresh flowers in the vase.
Common words: 插手 (chā shǒu)、插图 (chā tú)、插嘴 (chā zuǐ)
All 4 characters
Open 穿、刺、贯 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.