How to Write 窜 (cuàn) — Meaning “To scurry; to flee”

Picture a frightened rat (鼠) quickly running into a cave (穴) to hide — that action is 窜. The image of a rat dashing for cover helps you associate the character with scurrying away.

Write the top radical 穴 first (5 strokes), then the bottom part. The bottom is a simplified rat with two small boxes stacked vertically — do not add extra strokes like the full character 鼠, which has 13 strokes.

窜 has the bottom part from 鼠 (rat) and means to scurry or flee. 窄 has 乍 on the bottom and means narrow, while 窅 has 目 (eye) and means deep or sunken. Their meanings are unrelated, and the bottom shapes are visually distinct.

窜 appears in words like 逃窜 (to flee in disorder) and 乱窜 (to scurry about), often describing escaping criminals or panicked animals. It also forms 窜改 (to tamper with or falsify documents) and carries a negative tone.

Common words containing 窜 include: 逃窜 (táo cuàn) — to flee in disorder; to scurry off; 乱窜 (luàn cuàn) — to scurry about; 窜改 (cuàn gǎi) — To tamper with; to falsify.