线 xiàn — thread; string; wire; line
请沿着这条线剪开。Qǐng yán zhe zhè tiáo xiàn jiǎn kāi.Please cut along this line.
Common words: 路线 (lù xiàn)、线索 (xiàn suǒ)、线路 (xiàn lù)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "string"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "string", including 线 (xiàn), 串 (chuàn). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "string" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 线 (xiàn), 串 (chuàn) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span xiàn, chuàn — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 线 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 线 xiànthread; string; wire; lineUseful words: 路线, 线索
- 串 chuànto string together; to mix up; to conspire; to connect; (a measure word); stringUseful words: 一连串, 串门
Common words for these 2 "string" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 线 (xiàn) — so "string" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
路线lù xiànitinerary; route; political line (e.g. right revisionist road)线索xiàn suǒtrail; clues; thread (of a story)线路xiàn lù(electricity) line; circuit; wire; (traffic) road一连串yī lián chuàna succession of; a series of串门chuàn ménto call on sb; to drop in; to visit sb's home串行chuàn hángto miss a line; to confuse two lines
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 2 ways to say "string".
串 chuàn — to string together; to mix up; to conspire; to connect; (a measure word); string
他买了一串糖葫芦给妹妹吃。Tā mǎi le yí chuàn táng hú lú gěi mèi mei chī.He bought a string of candied haws for his sister.
Common words: 一连串 (yī lián chuàn)、串门 (chuàn mén)、串行 (chuàn háng)
All 2 characters
Open 线、串 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.