Skip to content
Kotomora

貫

pierce, 8 1/3lbs, penetrate, brace

JLPTN1StatusJōyō · secondary schoolFrequencyTop 2,000Strokes11

Readings

On'yomi

  • カン

Kun'yomi

  • つらぬ.く
  • ぬ.く
  • ぬき

Nanori

  • つら
  • ぬく

Meaning

貫 centers on passing through something from one side to the other: piercing, penetrating, or threading through. The historical weight unit (8 1/3 lbs) likely comes from the idea of a string of coins threaded together, and 'brace' extends the idea of something that holds by passing through.

Most common words using 貫

20 of 63
  • 貫かん

    kan (obs. unit of weight, approx. 3.75 kg, 8.3 lb)

  • 一貫いっかん
    N1

    consistency; coherence; integration

  • 貫くつらぬく
    N1

    to go through; to pierce; to penetrate

  • 貫通かんつう

    passing through (of a tunnel, bullet, etc.); going (right) through; penetrating; piercing

  • 貫禄かんろく
    N1

    presence; dignity

  • 突貫とっかん

    charging (at the enemy) with a shout; rush

  • 貫徹かんてつ

    accomplishment; realization; attainment; fulfillment; achievement

  • 満貫マンガン

    win worth 8000 points (or, if dealer, 12000 points)

  • 縦貫じゅうかん

    running through; traversal

  • 貫き通すつらぬきとおす

    to go through; to pierce; to penetrate

  • 貫入かんにゅう

    penetration; permeation

  • 裸一貫はだかいっかん

    having nothing except one's body; having empty pockets; being penniless

  • 終始一貫しゅうしいっかん

    consistently; unchangingly; throughout

  • 中高一貫校ちゅうこういっかんこう
    N1

    combined junior high and high school

  • 一気通貫いっきつうかん

    pure straight; winning hand containing nine consecutive tiles of the same suit (i.e. 1-9) as three chows

  • 一貫していっかんして

    consistently

  • 一貫作業いっかんさぎょう

    continuous operation

  • 一貫性いっかんせい

    consistency

  • 一貫教育いっかんきょういく

    integrated education; integrated school system; system where students can progress from elementary through secondary levels without entrance examinations

  • 一貫教育校いっかんきょういくこう

    integrated set of schools that offers education from one stage to the next without taking entrance exams en route

Explore all words using 貫 →

Study

Etymology

貫 combines 毌 (a string or to pierce through) and 貝 (shell/money), originally depicting a string of coins threaded together. This gave the core meaning of piercing or passing through.

Meaning mnemonic

The top part 毌 looks like a string passing through a hole, and the bottom 貝 is a shell or coin. Picture threading a string through a pile of coins to pierce and hold them together.

Reading mnemonic

For カン, imagine a can being pierced by a sharp string of coins: can -> カン, and the string penetrates the metal.