穿
to wear; put on
chuān
What does 穿 mean?
穿 (chuān) means 'to wear / put on' — but only for items that go ON your body or AROUND your limbs: clothing, shoes, socks, gloves, pants. 穿衣服 ('wear clothes'), 穿鞋 ('wear shoes'), 穿裤子 ('wear pants'). The crucial restriction English speakers miss: hats, watches, glasses, scarves, jewelry, and accessories use 戴 (dài) instead. 戴帽子 ('wear a hat'), 戴眼镜 ('wear glasses') — never 穿帽子.
Rule of thumb: if it slips through a sleeve or leg, use 穿; if it sits on your head, face, wrist, neck, or fingers, use 戴. 穿 also means 'to put on' as the action and 'to wear' as the state — Chinese doesn't distinguish: 我穿了一件红色的衣服 can mean 'I put on a red shirt' or 'I'm wearing a red shirt' depending on context, often clarified by 着 (穿着, ongoing state) vs 了
Character breakdown
to wear (clothes, shoes); to pierce / pass through
Memory hook: 穿 = thread your body THROUGH the clothes. The original meaning was 'pass through,' which is why hats and rings (which don't slide through anything) take 戴 instead.
Example sentences
今天很冷,多穿点衣服。
Jīntiān hěn lěng, duō chuān diǎn yīfu.
It's cold today — wear more clothes.
spoken
她穿了一件红色的裙子。
Tā chuān le yí jiàn hóngsè de qúnzi.
She's wearing a red dress.
neutral
进屋请穿拖鞋。
Jìn wū qǐng chuān tuōxié.
Please put on slippers when entering the room.
neutral
我不知道今天穿什么。
Wǒ bù zhīdào jīntiān chuān shénme.
I don't know what to wear today.
spoken
他穿着一双新鞋。
Tā chuān zhe yì shuāng xīn xié.
He's wearing a new pair of shoes.
neutral
Common phrases with 穿
Synonyms
戴 is the verb for things you wear ON the head, face, wrist, neck, or fingers — hats, glasses, watches, jewelry, scarves. 穿 is for clothes, shoes, pants, gloves, socks. They are not interchangeable: say 戴帽子 / 穿衣服, never the other way.
Don't confuse 穿 with
戴 is for hats / glasses / watches / jewelry — items that don't 'thread through.' 穿 is for clothes and shoes. Saying 穿帽子 instead of 戴帽子 is a classic learner mistake.
脱 is the opposite — 'to take off' clothes or shoes. 脱衣服 ('take off clothes'), 脱鞋 ('take off shoes'). Memorize as the 穿/脱 pair.
传 (chuán) means 'to pass / transmit' (传球 'pass the ball')