阵 zhèn — disposition of troops; short period; wave; spate; burst; spell
一阵大雨过后，空气清新了许多。Yí zhèn dà yǔ guò hòu, kōng qì qīng xīn le xǔ duō.After a burst of rain, the air became much fresher.
Common words: 一阵 (yī zhèn)、阵地 (zhèn dì)、阵容 (zhèn róng)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "spell"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "spell", including 阵 (zhèn), 顿 (dùn), 拼 (pīn). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "spell" covers 3 different Chinese characters — 阵 (zhèn), 顿 (dùn), 拼 (pīn) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 3 characters do not share a sound — their readings span zhèn, dùn, pīn — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 阵 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 阵 zhèndisposition of troops; short period; wave; spate; burst; spellUseful words: 一阵, 阵地
- 顿 dùna time; jerk; stop; meal; bout; spellUseful words: 整顿, 停顿
- 拼 pīnpiece together; stake (all); spell; join togetherUseful words: 拼命, 拼搏
Common words for these 3 "spell" characters
Anchor each of these 3 characters in a word you can picture — start with 阵 (zhèn) — so "spell" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
一阵yī zhèna burst; a fit; a peal; a spell (period of time)阵地zhèn dì(military) position; front阵容zhèn róngtroop arrangement; battle formation; lineup (of a sports team etc)整顿zhěng dùnto tidy up; to reorganize; to consolidate; to rectify停顿tíng dùnto halt; to break off; pause (in speech)顿时dùn shíimmediately; suddenly拼命pīn mìngto do one's utmost; with all one's might; at all costs; (to work or fight) as if one's life depends on it拼搏pīn bóto struggle; to wrestle拼成pīn chéngto put sth together from component parts
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 3 ways to say "spell".
顿 dùn — a time; jerk; stop; meal; bout; spell
我们一家人一起吃了一顿饭。Wǒ men yì jiā rén yì qǐ chī le yí dùn fàn.Our family ate a meal together.
Common words: 整顿 (zhěng dùn)、停顿 (tíng dùn)、顿时 (dùn shí)
拼 pīn — piece together; stake (all); spell; join together
弟弟正在拼一幅漂亮的拼图。Dì di zhèng zài pīn yì fú piào liang de pīn tú.My brother is putting together a beautiful jigsaw puzzle.
Common words: 拼命 (pīn mìng)、拼搏 (pīn bó)、拼成 (pīn chéng)
All 3 characters
Open 阵、顿、拼 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.