练 liàn — to practice; to train; to perfect (one's skill); to drill
想把字写好，就要多练习。Xiǎng bǎ zì xiě hǎo, jiù yào duō liàn xí.If you want to write characters well, you need to practice more.
Common words: 练习 (liàn xí)、训练 (xùn liàn)、教练 (jiào liàn)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "to drill"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "to drill", including 练 (liàn), 操 (cāo). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "to drill" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 练 (liàn), 操 (cāo) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span liàn, cāo — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 练 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 练 liànto practice; to train; to perfect (one's skill); to drillUseful words: 练习, 训练
- 操 cāoto hold; to drill; to exercise; to act; to do; to take in handUseful words: 操作, 体操
Common words for these 2 "to drill" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 练 (liàn) — so "to drill" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
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 "to drill".
操 cāo — to hold; to drill; to exercise; to act; to do; to take in hand
每天早上我们都要做早操。Měi tiān zǎo shang wǒ men dōu yào zuò zǎo cāo.Every morning we do morning exercises.
Common words: 操作 (cāo zuò)、体操 (tǐ cāo)、操场 (cāo chǎng)
All 2 characters
Open 练、操 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.