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巡 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
巡xúnto patrolzg, 6 strokes, radical 巛, rank #9890, Very Hard
巡xúnto make one's roundszg, 6 strokes, radical 巛, rank #9890, Very Hard
巡xúnto cruise, to inspect, to patrolzg, 6 strokes, radical 巛, rank #9890, Very Hard
巡xúnclassifier for rounds of drinksunknown, 6 strokes, radical 巛, rank #9890, Very Hard
xún(xun2)xun T2
  1. 1to patrol
  2. 2to make one's rounds
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March 24, 2026

巡xún(xun2)

The character 巡 (xún) primarily means to patrol or make rounds, often used in contexts related to inspections or monitoring, such as police patrols or health inspections. It can also refer to cruising or making rounds in a social context, such as going from one place to another. This character emphasizes a sense of movement and oversight.

Strokes6Radical巛Frequency#9890DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, the concept of patrolling is often associated with public safety and community vigilance, reflecting the importance placed on collective responsibility. For instance, neighborhood watch programs or community patrols are common in urban areas.

Memory tip

Imagine a police officer making their rounds (巡) through a neighborhood. The character 巡 looks like a person (the horizontal line) moving in a circle (the surrounding components), symbolizing the act of patrolling. Associate 'xún' with the sound of the word 'tune,' as if the officer is tuning in to the rhythm of the neighborhood.

Meanings of 巡

xún(xun2)
1to patrol
2to make one's rounds
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 巡

巡Simplified
6Strokes
巛Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#9890Frequency Rank

Podcast: 巡

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Podcast: 巡

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AI study notes for 巡

Quick Contrast

巡 (xún) vs 走 (zǒu) — choose 巡 for patrolling or inspecting, while 走 is for general walking or moving.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 巡 (xún) with similar-sounding characters that have different meanings. It is used in both formal and informal contexts, often appearing in phrases like '巡逻' (xúnluó - to patrol) or '巡回' (xúnhuí - to make rounds). Watch out for tone mistakes, as the first tone can change the meaning.

HSK Study Tips

Although 巡 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, it connects well with other verbs related to movement and inspection, like 走 (zǒu - to walk) and 看 (kàn - to see). Focus on practicing its use in various contexts to deepen your understanding.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 巡 (xún) with the similar character 讯 (xùn), which means 'news' or 'information.' Remember that 巡 relates to movement and inspections, while 讯 is about communication.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 巡

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Etymology of 巡

Formation typeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Memory hint

To walk 辶 by the river 巛; 巛 also provides the pronunciation

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

What kind of character is 巡?

Decomposition of 巡

IDS Structure⿺辶巛
巡Full character
=
辶chuo4
enclosing
巛chuan1
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 巡?

How to say to patrol in Chinese

“to patrol” in Chinese is巡xún

The character 巡 (xún) primarily means to patrol or make rounds, often used in contexts related to inspections or monitoring, such as police patrols or health inspections. It can also refer to cruising or making rounds in a social context, such as going from one place to another. This character emphasizes a sense of movement and oversight.

When to use 巡

Be careful not to confuse 巡 (xún) with similar-sounding characters that have different meanings. It is used in both formal and informal contexts, often appearing in phrases like '巡逻' (xúnluó - to patrol) or '巡回' (xúnhuí - to make rounds). Watch out for tone mistakes, as the first tone can change the meaning.

巡 or something close to it

巡 (xún) vs 走 (zǒu) — choose 巡 for patrolling or inspecting, while 走 is for general walking or moving.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 巡 (xún) with the similar character 讯 (xùn), which means 'news' or 'information.' Remember that 巡 relates to movement and inspections, while 讯 is about communication.

Write 巡

巡

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

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Grammar patterns of 巡

巡 carries 4 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.

Exercise 1 of 4

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

几年前他们在全国作了____回演出。

A few years ago they toured the country in a roadshow.

Example sentences for 巡 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
几年前他们在全国作了巡回演出。

jǐ niánqián tāmen zài quánguó zuō le xúnhuí yǎnchū。

A few years ago they toured the country in a roadshow.
2
参加巡回比赛的法国橄榄球队成绩有喜有悲。

cānjiā xúnhuí bǐsài de fǎ guó gǎn lǎn qiúduì chéngjì yǒu xǐ yǒu bēi。

There were mixed fortunes for French rugby teams on tour.
3
在彼得斯堡,过去5年中有30名巡警死于暴力事件。

zài bǐ de Sī bǎo, guòqù5 nián zhōng yǒu30 míng xún jǐng sǐ yú bàolì shìjiàn。

In Petersburg, 30 patrolmen have died violently in the past five years.
4
这3个节目将在整个巡回演出中轮流打头牌。

zhè3 gè jiémù jiāng zài zhěnggè xúnhuí yǎnchū zhōng lúnliú dǎ tóu pái。

The three acts will alternate as headliners throughout the tour.
5
如果乐队能撑完巡演,那将是个奇迹。

rúguǒ yuèduì néng chēng wán xún yǎn, nà jiāng shì gè qíjì。

It'll be a miracle if the band lasts out the tour.
6
班伯里巡官过来看她,却被她打发走了。

bān bà lǐ xún guān guòlái kàn tā, què bèi tā dǎfa zǒu le。

Inspector Banbury came up to see her, but she sent him away.
7
这次巡回赛将包括和澳大利亚野人队的比赛。

zhè cì xúnhuí sài jiāng bāokuò hé ào dà lì yà yě rén duì de bǐsài。

The tour will include games against the Australian Barbarians.
8
肖恩·奥利里已入选参加阿根廷巡回赛的英格兰队大名单。

Xiāo ēn· ào lì lǐ yǐ rùxuǎn cānjiā Ā gēn tíng xúnhuí sài de Yīng gé lán duì dà míngdān。

Sean O'Leary has been named in the England squad to tour Argentina.
9
显然,那些人是在受到一支巡逻队的盘问后开的火。

xiǎnrán, nàxiē rén shì zài shòudào yī zhī xúnluó duì de pán wèn hòu kāi de huǒ。

The men apparently opened fire after they were challenged by a patrol.
10
这个故事是从西蒙·波特巡官的视角讲述的。

zhège gùshi shì cóng xī mēng· Bō tè xún guān de shìjiǎo jiǎngshù de。

The story is told through the eyes of Inspector Simon Potter.

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Word Family of 巡

Words containing this character20
巡逻xúnluóto patrol (police, army or navy)巡邏
巡xúnto patrol
巡回xúnhuíto roam巡迴
巡警xúnjǐngpolice officer
巡演xúnyǎnto be on tour
巡视xúnshìto patrol巡視
巡查xúncháto patrol
巡回演出xúnhuíyǎnchū(theater etc) to tour巡迴演出
巡逻队xúnluóduì(army, police) patrol巡邏隊
巡游xúnyóuto cruise巡遊
巡航xúnhángto cruise
巡逻车xúnluóchēpatrol car巡邏車
巡洋舰xúnyángjiàncruiser (warship)巡洋艦
巡抚xúnfǔinspector-general of province in Ming and Qing times巡撫
巡逻艇xúnluótǐngpatrol boat巡邏艇
巡礼xúnlǐto go on a sightseeing tour巡禮
巡航导弹xúnhángdǎodàncruise missile巡航導彈
出巡chūxúnto go on an inspection tour
巡捕xúnbǔto patrol
逡巡qūnxúnto draw back
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 巡

What does 巡逻 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 巡

Common phrases include '巡逻' (xúnluó - to patrol) and '巡回演出' (xúnhuí yǎnchū - touring performance).

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