How to Write 串 (chuàn) — Meaning “string; bunch; to string together”

Imagine two pieces of meat (represented by the two 口 shapes) threaded onto a skewer (the vertical line in the middle). This visual resembles a lamb kebab (羊肉串), which is a common food that uses this character.

The stroke order is: vertical stroke (丨) first, then the top 口 (left vertical, top horizontal, right vertical, bottom horizontal), then the bottom 口. A common mistake is making the two 口 boxes too wide or uneven – keep them narrow and aligned on the central vertical line.

丱 (guàn) looks like two 口 side-by-side with a vertical line through both, but it's a rare ancient character for a child's hairstyle. 临 (lín) has a left component resembling 丨 and 口, but the right side is a person kneeling – it means "to arrive." Unlike 串, neither is used for skewered items or visiting homes.

串 appears in common words like 羊肉串 (lamb kebabs), a popular street food in China, and 串门 (to drop by someone's home for a casual visit). It also describes a "string" of things, like 一串钥匙 (a bunch of keys). The character evokes the idea of connecting items in a line.

Common words containing 串 include: 羊肉串 (yáng ròu chuàn) — Mutton skewers; lamb kebabs; 一串 (yī chuàn) — a string of; a bunch of; 串门 (chuàn mén) — to drop in; to visit someone's home.