How to Write 镇 (zhèn) — Meaning “Town / To suppress”

Imagine a metal (钅) gate in a peaceful town (镇) where everything is true and calm (真). This connects the metal radical to the idea of a secure, controlled place.

Write the left radical 钅 with 5 strokes: first the short left-falling stroke, then two horizontals, then a vertical, and finally a left-falling hook. The right side 真 has 10 strokes; a common mistake is forgetting the middle horizontal stroke inside the 'true' component, so be careful to include all three horizontals.

镇 (zhèn) means 'town' or 'to suppress' and uses 真 (true) on the right. 锖 (qiāng) is a type of metal alloy and uses 青 (green/blue). 锗 (zhě) is the element germanium and uses 者 (person). All share the metal radical 钅, but the right parts differ in meaning and pronunciation.

You often see 镇 in words like 小镇 (xiǎo zhèn, small town) for places, and 镇静 (zhèn jìng, calm) for staying composed. The character also appears in 乡镇 (xiāng zhèn, township), which is an important administrative unit in rural China.

Common words containing 镇 include: 小镇 (xiǎo zhèn) — small town; 镇静 (zhèn jìng) — Calm / Sedate; 乡镇 (xiāng zhèn) — villages and towns; township.