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灌 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
灌guànto irrigateHSK 7, v, 20 strokes, radical 氵, rank #5182, Hard
灌guànto pourHSK 7, v, 20 strokes, radical 氵, rank #5182, Hard
灌guànto install (software)HSK 7, v, 20 strokes, radical 氵, rank #5182, Hard
灌guànto record (music)HSK 7, v, 20 strokes, radical 氵, rank #5182, Hard
灌guànto water, to irrigate; to pour; to floodHSK 7, v, 20 strokes, radical 氵, rank #5182, Hard
guàn(guan4) T4
  1. 1to irrigate
  2. 2to pour
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March 24, 2026

灌guàn(guan4)

The character 灌 (guàn) primarily means to irrigate or pour, often used in contexts related to watering plants or supplying water to fields. It can also mean to install software or to record music, showcasing its versatility in both agricultural and technological fields.

Strokes20Radical氵Frequency#5182DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, irrigation is vital for agriculture, reflecting the importance of water management in farming practices. The character 灌 is often associated with traditional farming techniques, emphasizing the connection between nature and sustenance.

Memory Tip

Imagine a gardener pouring water (灌) over a plant to help it grow. The character features the radical for fire (火), suggesting the importance of water in sustaining life, while the '官' component sounds like 'guan' to remind you to 'pour' the water carefully.

Meanings of 灌

guàn(guan4)
1to irrigate
2to pour
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 灌

灌Simplified
20Strokes
氵Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#5182Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2

Podcast: 灌

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Podcast: 灌

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AI Study Notes for 灌

Quick Contrast

灌 (guàn) vs 注 (zhù) — use 灌 for pouring or irrigating, while 注 is specifically for pouring into a container or a more precise application.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a gardener pouring water (灌) over a plant to help it grow. The character features the radical for fire (火), suggesting the importance of water in sustaining life, while the '官' component sounds like 'guan' to remind you to 'pour' the water carefully.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 灌 (guàn) with other similar-sounding verbs; it specifically refers to the act of pouring or irrigating. It is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts, particularly in discussions about agriculture or technology. Common collocations include 灌溉 (irrigate) and 灌录 (record).

HSK Study Tips

Although not on the official HSK list, 灌 can be connected to Level 3 vocabulary related to actions and processes. Students should focus on its various usages, especially in agricultural contexts and technology, to enhance their understanding of modern life in China.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, irrigation is vital for agriculture, reflecting the importance of water management in farming practices. The character 灌 is often associated with traditional farming techniques, emphasizing the connection between nature and sustenance.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 灌 with the verb 倒 (dào), which also means to pour but without the specific agricultural context. For example, saying '我需要倒水' (wǒ xūyào dào shuǐ) instead of '我需要灌水' (wǒ xūyào guàn shuǐ) can lead to misunderstandings about the action intended.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 灌

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Etymology of 灌

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

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 雚 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

water

Semantic (meaning)氵
+
Phonetic (sound)雚
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 灌?

Decomposition of 灌

IDS Structure⿰氵雚
灌Full Character
=
氵shui3
left
雚guan4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 灌?

Write 灌

灌

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

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Grammar Patterns of 灌

灌 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 5 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

执行死刑的动机是要____输恐惧。

The motive of the executions would be to instil fear.

Example Sentences for 灌 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
执行死刑的动机是要灌输恐惧。

zhí háng sǐ xíng de dòng jī shì yào guàn shū kǒng jù。

The motive of the executions would be to instil fear.
2
为了灌制这张唱片你们大家似乎都经历了重重波折。

wéi le guàn zhì zhè zhāng chàng piàn nǐ mén dà jiā sì hū dū jīng lì le zhòng zhòng bō zhē。

All of you seem to have gone through hell making this record.
3
灌木丛和树木在风中摇晃。

guàn mù cóng hé shù mù zài fēng zhōng yáo huǎng。

The bushes and trees were blowing in the wind.
4
要确保这些瓷砖经过彻底灌浆并且密封好。

yào què bǎo zhè xiē cí zhuān jīng guò chè dǐ guàn jiāng bìng qiě mì fēng hǎo。

Make sure that your tiles are thoroughly grouted and sealed.
5
那条小路非常陡峭，而且长满了灌木丛。

nà tiáo xiǎo lù fēi cháng dǒu qiào， ， ér qiě cháng mǎn le guàn mù。

The trail was steep and thick with underbrush.
6
16岁的时候他就能把我灌醉了。

16 16 suì de shí hòu tā jiù néng bǎ wǒ guàn zuì。

At sixteen he could drink me under the table.
7
她说话间，我把水壶灌满并插上了电源。

tā shuō huà jiān， ， wǒ bǎ shuǐ hú guàn mǎn bìng chā shàng le diàn。

I filled the kettle while she was talking and plugged it in.
8
灌木可以种植在盆里或大型容器中。

guàn mù kě yǐ zhǒng zhí zài pén lǐ huò dà xíng róng qì zhōng。

Shrubs can be grown in tubs or large containers.
9
他周围的人都在给他灌输可怕的谎言。

tā zhōu wéi de rén dū zài gěi tā guàn shū kě pà de huǎng yán。

He was surrounded by people who fed him ghastly lies.
10
已经有数千英亩森林和灌木丛林地被烧毁。

yǐ jīng yǒu shù qiān yīng mǔ sēn lín hé guàn mù cóng lín dì bèi shāo huǐ。

Thousands of acres of forests and scrubland have been burnt.

Cultural Notes for 灌

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, irrigation is vital for agriculture, reflecting the importance of water management in farming practices. The character 灌 is often associated with traditional farming techniques, emphasizing the connection between nature and sustenance.

Word Family of 灌

Words Containing This Character20
灌guànto pour
灌输guànshūto imbue with灌輸
灌溉guàngàito irrigate
灌注to pour into
灌醉to fuddle
灌木bush
灌木丛shrub灌木叢
灌肠enema灌腸
浇灌to water澆灌
灌水to irrigate
灌区area under irrigation灌區
灌浆grouting灌漿
醍醐灌顶flawless Buddhist teaching醍醐灌頂
滴灌drip irrigation
倒灌reverse flow
灌丛scrub灌叢
满堂灌rote learning滿堂灌
春灌spring irrigation
灌渠irrigation channel
灌南县Guannan county in Lianyungang 連雲港|连云港[Lián​yún​gǎng], Jiangsu灌南縣
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 灌 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 灌

灌 is often used in discussions about agriculture, such as watering crops, as well as in technology when referring to software installation.