关
to close; to shut; to turn off
HSK level
- Pinyin
- guān
- Part of speech
- verb
- Level
- HSK 3
- Strokes
- 6
- Register
- neutral
- In episodes
- 1
Stroke order for 关
关 is written with 6 strokes. The animation replays automatically.
What does 关 mean?
关 (guān) is the everyday verb for shutting something or switching something off.
Three core uses cover most cases: physically close — 关门 (close the door), 关窗户 (close the window); turn off electronics — 关灯 (turn off the light), 关电视 (turn off the TV), 关机 (power off / turn off a phone); and shut a business or operation — 商店关了 (the shop has closed). It also appears as part of broader compounds like 关心 (care about — see separate entry), 关系 (relationship), and 关于 (about / regarding). Two notes for English speakers: first, Chinese doesn't distinguish 'close' (door) from 'turn off' (light) — 关 covers both.
Second, its opposite is 开 (kāi), which similarly covers 'open' AND 'turn on.' Learn 开 / 关 as a single pair.
Memory hook: Picture a gate with the crossbar dropped in: 关 — closed, shut, the path is barred.
Hear 关 in real episodes
关 appears in 1 Fluentide podcast episode at natural native speed. Each sentence plays at the easiest difficulty it exists in — switch it to hear the same moment at your level, with full pinyin and English throughout.
你进去，门关了。
You go in, and the door closes.
New York Put Free Toilets on the Street, and the Door Slides Open by Itself After Exactly Ten Minutes — Finished or Not
Example sentences
请关门。
Qǐng guān mén.
Please close the door.
polite
睡觉前别忘了关灯。
Shuìjiào qián bié wàng le guān dēng.
Don't forget to turn off the light before bed.
spoken
商店晚上九点关门。
Shāngdiàn wǎnshàng jiǔ diǎn guān mén.
The shop closes at 9 in the evening.
neutral
我的手机关机了。
Wǒ de shǒujī guānjī le.
My phone is turned off.
spoken
Common phrases with 关
Synonyms
关闭 is a more formal/written 'close / shut down' — used for businesses, factories, websites, accounts (账号关闭了 — the account has been closed). 关 is the everyday spoken verb for doors and switches.
Don't confuse 关 with
FAQ
Related words from the same episodes
Acquire it by listening
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