Skip to content
Kotomora

穿

put on (to the feet), dig, pierce, drill

StatusJinmeiyōStrokes10

Readings

On'yomi

  • セン

Kun'yomi

  • うが.つ
  • は.く

Meaning

穿 centers on making an opening or forcing a way through: piercing, drilling, digging, or putting on footwear by pushing the foot through.

Most common words using 穿

20 of 51
  • 穿刺せんし

    paracentesis; centesis; puncture; tap

  • 穿孔せんこう

    perforation; punching; boring; drilling

  • 穿つうがつ

    to drill; to bore; to pierce; to pass through

  • カード穿孔機構カードせんこうきこう

    card punch

  • カード穿孔装置カードせんこうそうち

    card punch

  • スポット穿孔機スポットせんこうき

    spot punch

  • テープ穿孔機構テープせんこうきこう

    tape punch

  • テープ穿孔装置テープせんこうそうち

    tape punch

  • 合計穿孔機ごうけいせんこうき

    summary punch

  • 孔を穿つあなをうがつ

    to pierce a hole

  • 微に入り細を穿つびにいりさいをうがつ

    to go into the minutest details

  • 心臓穿刺しんぞうせんし

    cardiocentesis

  • 掻っ穿るかっぽじる

    to dig up; to dig out; to pick (nose, teeth); to clean out (ears)

  • 涓滴岩を穿つけんてきいわをうがつ

    slow but steady wins the race; constant effort will result in success; constant dripping wears away a stone

  • 渇に臨みて井を穿つかつにのぞみてせいをうがつ

    to fail to make timely preparations; to not dig a well until one is thirsty

  • 点滴穿石てんてきせんせき

    constant dripping wears away the stone; little strokes fell great oaks; limited strength, when persistently applied, can accomplish great feats

  • 直穿きじかばき

    wearing next to the skin (e.g. shoes without socks, trousers without underwear)

  • 磨穿鉄硯ませんてっけん

    showing unyielding diligence in one's studies; wearing a hole through one's metal inkstone from constant studying

  • 穴を穿つあなをうがつ

    to find someone's weak spot; to drill a hole

  • 穿ちすぎたうがちすぎた

    farfetched

Explore all words using 穿 →

Study

Etymology

穿 combines 穴 (hole, cavity) and 牙 (tooth, tusk), suggesting the idea of piercing or boring through something with a tooth-like tool.

Meaning mnemonic

A tusk (牙) drills through a hole (穴): imagine a sharp tusk piercing a cavity to dig or drill through, or a foot pushing through a shoe opening.

Reading mnemonic

For セン, picture a centipede (セン) using its many legs to dig and pierce through the ground: cent -> セン.