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浚 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
浚jùnto dredgens, 10 strokes, radical 氵
浚jùnto deepen (e.g. a ditch)unknown, 10 strokes, radical 氵
浚jùnto extractunknown, 10 strokes, radical 氵
浚jùnto manageunknown, 10 strokes, radical 氵
浚jùnladle (old)unknown, 10 strokes, radical 氵
jùn(jun4) T4
  1. 1to dredge
  2. 2to deepen (e.g. a ditch)
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

浚jùn(jun4)

The character 浚 (jùn) primarily means to dredge or deepen, especially in the context of waterways like ditches or rivers. It can also refer to the act of extracting or managing resources, often indicating a careful or thorough approach. In historical contexts, it has also referred to a ladle or tool used for such purposes.

Strokes10Radical氵
Cultural Note

In ancient Chinese society, dredging rivers was crucial for agriculture and trade, emphasizing the importance of water management in sustaining communities. The character reflects this historical significance in the context of maintaining waterways for transportation and irrigation.

Memory Tip

Think of 浚 (jùn) as a river (水) being deepened (深) to allow boats to pass. The water radical (氵) gives a hint to its association with liquids, while the character’s shape can be visualized as a ladle scooping out the depths of a riverbed.

Meanings of 浚

jùn(jun4)
1to dredge
2to deepen (e.g. a ditch)
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 浚

浚Simplified
10Strokes
氵Radical
地名míngcíplace name (p.n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 浚

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Podcast: 浚

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AI Study Notes for 浚

Quick Contrast

疏 (shū) — use 浚 (jùn) when emphasizing deepening or thorough dredging, while 疏 (shū) focuses on clearing or widening.

Usage Notes

This character is often used in formal contexts related to engineering or environmental management. A common mistake is confusing it with similar-sounding words in different tones. When using 浚, ensure you are clear on the context of water management to avoid ambiguity.

HSK Study Tips

While 浚 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, it connects well with HSK level words related to water (水) and depth (深). Students should focus on recognizing its usage in technical or literary texts, which can expand their understanding of relevant vocabulary.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 浚 with similar characters like 俊 (jùn), which means handsome. Remember that 浚 is specifically related to water and deepening, while 俊 relates to appearance.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 浚

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Etymology of 浚

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 夋 represents the sound. Simplified form of 濬.

Memory Hint

water

Semantic (meaning)氵
+
Phonetic (sound)夋
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 浚

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 夋 represents the sound. Simplified form of 濬.

  1. 1The meaning half氵 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half夋 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaywater
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 浚? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 浚?

Decomposition of 浚

IDS Structure⿰氵夋
浚Full Character
=
氵shui3
left
夋qun1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 浚?

How to say to dredge in Chinese

“to dredge” in Chinese is浚jùn

The character 浚 (jùn) primarily means to dredge or deepen, especially in the context of waterways like ditches or rivers. It can also refer to the act of extracting or managing resources, often indicating a careful or thorough approach. In historical contexts, it has also referred to a ladle or tool used for such purposes.

When to use 浚

This character is often used in formal contexts related to engineering or environmental management. A common mistake is confusing it with similar-sounding words in different tones. When using 浚, ensure you are clear on the context of water management to avoid ambiguity.

浚 or something close to it

疏 (shū) — use 浚 (jùn) when emphasizing deepening or thorough dredging, while 疏 (shū) focuses on clearing or widening.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 浚 with similar characters like 俊 (jùn), which means handsome. Remember that 浚 is specifically related to water and deepening, while 俊 relates to appearance.

Write 浚

浚

Practice writing 浚 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 浚

Words Containing This Character3
浚jùnto extract
疏浚to dredge
浚县Xun County in Hebi 鶴壁|鹤壁[Hè​bì], Henan浚縣
Exercise 1 of 3

Compound Meaning

What does 浚 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 浚

The correct pronunciation is jùn, with a falling tone.

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