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How to Write 准 (zhǔn) — Meaning “accurate; standard; to allow”

zhǔn HSK Level 1 10 strokes Radical: 冫

准 (zhǔn) means "accurate; standard; to allow" in Chinese. It has 10 strokes with the radical 冫, and is HSK Level 1.

Rated 3.4/5 in difficulty (challenging).

Harder than 72% of HSK Level 1 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 准备 (zhǔn bèi), 准确 (zhǔn què), 标准 (biāo zhǔn).

Due to its 10 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 准 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Stroke order practice for 准 - zhǔn

Practice Writing 准 (zhǔn)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 准 with real-time feedback.

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How to Write 准

The character 准 (zhǔn) is written with 10 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 冫 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

What Does zhǔn (准) Mean in Chinese?

准 means accurate; standard; to allow.

As an HSK Level 1 character, 准 is among the first characters beginners learn.

Character Data

Character准
Pinyinzhǔn (zhun)
Meaningaccurate; standard; to allow
Strokes10
Radical冫
HSK Level1
Difficulty3.4/5

Origin of 准

The character 准 is a simplified form of 準, which originally depicted a falcon (隼) with water (水) emphasizing a level surface—like a water level used for measuring. The left component 冫 (ice) replaces water, retaining the idea of a cold, precise standard. Together, the bird and ice suggest a fixed, accurate measure or permission to act within set bounds.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture a bird (隹) balancing perfectly on a block of ice (冫), demonstrating extreme accuracy to avoid slipping.

Common Words with 准

准备 zhǔn bèi
to prepare; preparation
准确 zhǔn què
accurate; precise
标准 biāo zhǔn
standard; criterion

Example Sentences

我正在准备考试。

wǒ zhèng zài zhǔn bèi kǎo shì

I am preparing for an exam.

他的回答很准确。

tā de huí dá hěn zhǔn què

His answer is very accurate.

你的发音很标准。

nǐ de fā yīn hěn biāo zhǔn

Your pronunciation is very standard.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character Pinyin Strokes Radical
准 (current) zhǔn 10 冫
冼 xiǎn 8 冫
冽 liè 8 冫
净 jìng 8 冫
Stroke order practice for 准 - zhǔn

Practice Writing 准 (zhǔn)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 准 with real-time feedback.

✨ Animated stroke order · Handwriting recognition · HSK-graded practice · Free to use

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Frequently Asked Questions about 准

准 has two parts: the left radical 冫 (ice) and the right part 隹 (a short-tailed bird). Originally, the character 準 (simplified to 准) meant to level water, with 冫 hinting at water or cold and 隹 giving a phonetic clue. Over time, it came to mean 'accurate', 'standard', and 'to allow'.

More HSK Level 1 Characters

爱ài好hǎo/hào八bā爸bà吧ba/bā白bái天tiān百bǎi班bān半bàn年nián帮bāng忙máng包bāo子zi/zǐ杯bēi北běi边biān京jīng本běn

Characters with Radical 冫

冯féng/píng冰bīng冱hù冲chōng/chòng决jué况kuàng冶yě冷lěng冻dòng冼xiǎn

Other 10-Stroke Characters

㢆chán㼌yǔ䍃yóu丵zhuó乘chéng/shèng亳bó俯fǔ俱jù俳pái俸fèng