How to Write 穿 (chuān) — Meaning “To wear / to pass through”

Imagine a cave (穴) where a mouse uses its sharp tooth (牙) to gnaw a hole — the mouse 'wears through' or 'passes through' the wall. This visual links the top and bottom parts to both meanings of 穿.

The top radical 穴 has a roof (宀) with two short strokes under it, and the bottom 牙 has a left-slanting stroke that should not touch the horizontal line above. A common mistake is making the 牙 component too wide; keep it narrow and centered under 穴.

究 (studying into) and 穷 (poor/exhausted) both share the radical 穴, but 穿 has 牙 (tooth) underneath. Visually, 穿 has a 'V' shape in the bottom part (牙), while 究 has 九 (nine) and 穷 has 弓 (bow) plus force. In meaning, 穿 is about wearing or passing through, not about research or poverty.

穿 is used daily for putting on clothes (穿衣服) and for crossing spaces (穿过马路). In Chinese culture, proper 穿着 (way of dressing) is important for formal occasions. Note that 穿 is for wearable items (clothes, shoes), not accessories like hats or glasses (which use 戴 dài).

Common words containing 穿 include: 穿衣服 (chuān yī fú) — To put on clothes; 穿过 (chuān guò) — To pass through / to cross; 穿着 (chuān zhe) — Apparel / way of dressing.