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遷 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
遷qiānto shift, to move; to transfer, to changex, 14 strokes, radical 辶, Very Hard
qiān(qian1) T1
  1. 1to shift, to move; to transfer, to change
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
遷qiān(qian1)

The character 遷 (qiān) means to shift or move from one place to another. It often conveys the idea of transferring or changing one's location, such as moving houses or relocating jobs. It's commonly used in contexts involving physical relocation or metaphorical shifts in positions or roles.

Strokes14Radical辶Frequency#—DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, moving houses is often associated with auspicious dates and rituals to ensure good luck in the new home. The process of relocation can reflect changes in fortune and status.

Memory Tip

Picture a person packing their belongings into a moving truck, signifying a shift in their living situation. The left radical, 辶, represents movement, while the right component, '迁,' sounds like 'qiān' and suggests a journey or transfer.

Meanings of 遷

qiān(qian1)
1to shift, to move; to transfer, to change
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 遷

遷Simplified
14Strokes
辶Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 遷

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Podcast: 遷

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AI Study Notes for 遷

Quick Contrast

迁 (qiān) vs 移 (yí) — use 遷 (qiān) for a more formal or significant relocation context, while 移 (yí) suggests a more general or less formal movement.

Memory Mnemonic

Picture a person packing their belongings into a moving truck, signifying a shift in their living situation. The left radical, 辶, represents movement, while the right component, '迁,' sounds like 'qiān' and suggests a journey or transfer.

Usage Notes

Avoid confusing 遷 with other similar verbs like 移 (yí), which also means to move but can imply more subtle shifts. 遷 is typically used in more formal contexts, such as in official documents about relocations. Remember that the tone is crucial; it should always be pronounced with the first tone (qiān).

HSK Study Tips

Although 遷 is not included in the official HSK vocabulary, it can be connected to related words like 移动 (yídòng - to move) and 转移 (zhuǎnyí - to transfer). Students should focus on recognizing its use in formal contexts and understanding its synonyms.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, moving houses is often associated with auspicious dates and rituals to ensure good luck in the new home. The process of relocation can reflect changes in fortune and status.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 遷 with 迁 (qiān), which is a simplified version commonly used in mainland China. For example, saying '我想迁到北京' (I want to shift to Beijing) is correct in simplified characters, but use 遷 in formal writing contexts or traditional character settings.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 遷

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Etymology of 遷

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

Phonosemantic compound. 辶 represents the meaning and 千 represents the sound. Simplified form of 遷.

Memory Hint

walk

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

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 遷?

Decomposition of 遷

IDS Structure⿺辶䙴
遷Full Character
=
辶chuo4
enclosing
䙴qian1
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 遷?

Write 遷

遷

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Cultural Notes for 遷

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, moving houses is often associated with auspicious dates and rituals to ensure good luck in the new home. The process of relocation can reflect changes in fortune and status.

Word Family of 遷

Words Containing This Character20
拆迁chāiqiānto demolish a building and relocate the inhabitants拆遷
迁qiānto move遷
搬迁bānqiānto move搬遷
迁移qiānyíto migrate遷移
迁徙qiānxǐto migrate遷徙
迁就qiānjiùto yield遷就
升迁promote升遷
变迁biànqiānchanges變遷
乔迁promotion喬遷
迁怒to take one's anger out on sb (who does not deserve it)遷怒
时过境迁things change with the passage of time (idiom)時過境遷
迁入to move in (to new lodging)遷入
迁居to move (from one residence to another)遷居
乔迁之喜congratulations on house-moving or promotion (idiom); Best wishes for your new home!喬遷之喜
司马迁Sima Qian (145-86 BC), Han Dynasty historian, author of Records of the Grand Historian 史記|史记[Shǐ​jì], known as the father of Chinese historiography司馬遷
见异思迁never satisfied with what one has見異思遷
事过境迁It is water under the bridge.事過境遷
宿迁Suqian prefecture level city in Jiangsu宿遷
迁都to move the capital (city)遷都
迁延long delay遷延
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 拆迁 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 遷

You can say '我计划下个月搬家，准备迁到新地方。' (I plan to move next month, preparing to shift to a new place.)