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March 24, 2026
滾gǔn(gun3)
The character 滾 (gǔn) primarily means 'to boil' or 'to roll.' It is often used in cooking contexts to describe the action of water boiling or food being rolled. Additionally, it can carry a colloquial tone when used to tell someone to 'get lost' in informal conversations.
Strokes14Radical氵Frequency#—DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese cuisine, the boiling of water is a fundamental step in many cooking methods, such as making noodles or steaming vegetables. Understanding 滾 can enhance your appreciation of cooking practices in Chinese culture.
Memory Tip
Imagine a pot of water on the stove that is rolling and boiling vigorously. The character 滾 has the water radical (氵) on the left, indicating its connection to liquid, and the right component (滾) resembles a rolling action, helping you remember both its meaning and pronunciation.
Meanings of 滾
gǔn(gun3)
1to boil, to roll, to turn
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
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About 滾
滾Simplified
14Strokes
氵Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
Podcast: 滾
Podcast: 滾
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AI Study Notes for 滾
Quick Contrast
滚 (gǔn) vs 走 (zǒu) — use 滚 (gǔn) for a more forceful or colloquial dismissal compared to 走 (zǒu), which is a neutral term for 'to go.'
Memory Mnemonic
Imagine a pot of water on the stove that is rolling and boiling vigorously. The character 滾 has the water radical (氵) on the left, indicating its connection to liquid, and the right component (滾) resembles a rolling action, helping you remember both its meaning and pronunciation.
Usage Notes
滾 is commonly used in both cooking and casual speech. In informal settings, it can be a rude way to tell someone to leave, so be cautious about context. A common collocation is 滾水 (gǔn shuǐ), meaning 'boiling water.'
HSK Study Tips
While 滾 is not in the HSK vocabulary lists, it connects with other cooking-related words at HSK 2 and 3, such as 煮 (zhǔ, to boil) and 烧 (shāo, to cook). Focus on recognizing it in context, especially in recipes and dialogues about food.
Cultural Note
In Chinese cuisine, the boiling of water is a fundamental step in many cooking methods, such as making noodles or steaming vegetables. Understanding 滾 can enhance your appreciation of cooking practices in Chinese culture.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 滾 with 煮, thinking both mean 'to boil.' However, 煮 is more general while 滾 specifically emphasizes the boiling action. For example, saying '我煮水' (I boil water) is correct, but '我滾水' (I roll water) is incorrect.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 滾
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Cultural Notes for 滾
🏮Cultural insight
In Chinese cuisine, the boiling of water is a fundamental step in many cooking methods, such as making noodles or steaming vegetables. Understanding 滾 can enhance your appreciation of cooking practices in Chinese culture.
Word Family of 滾
Words Containing This Character20
滚gǔnto boil滾
摇滚yáogǔnto rock搖滾
滚开boiling hot滾開
滚滚to surge on滾滾
滚蛋beat it!滾蛋
滚动gǔndòngto roll滾動
翻滚to roll翻滾
摇滚乐rock music搖滾樂
打滚to roll about打滾
滚烫boiling滾燙
滚筒roller滾筒
摸爬滚打to go through challenging experiences摸爬滾打
滚珠bearing ball滾珠
滚子roller滾子
滚水boiling water滾水
圆滚滚plump圓滾滾
滚边(of a dress etc) border, edging滾邊
连滚带爬liángǔndàipárolling and crawling連滾帶爬
滚圆as round as a ball滾圓
屁滚尿流to piss in one's pants in terror (idiom); scared witless屁滾尿流
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 滚 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 滾
滾 is generally too informal for formal writing; it's best reserved for casual conversations.
滾 specifically refers to the action of boiling, while 煮 means to cook or boil more generally.
Yes, 滾 can be part of phrases like 滾蛋 (gǔn dàn), which is a colloquial way to tell someone to 'get lost', but be cautious as it can be considered rude.
