串 (chuàn) is a Chinese character meaning “to string together”. It is written from 口 (mouth) and 口 (mouth) and 丨 (vertical stroke), and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “a string of things on a skewer”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
口 + 口 + 丨
Overlapping structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分（IDS ⿻⿱口口丨），已对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数据核验
Memory aid
Two boxes (口 above 口) with one long stick (丨) driven straight down through both of them — things threaded onto a skewer. All three parts really are in this character.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 一串yī chuàna string of; a bunch of串 = chuànspoken asyí chuàn
- 羊肉串yáng ròu chuànlamb skewer; mutton kebab串 = chuàn
Go deeper
All readings
to string together; a skewer
to string together; a string or bunch of things; a skewer of food; classifier for strung or clustered things
把东西连贯地穿在一起；也做量词，用于成串的东西。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 一串yī chuàna string of; a bunch of串 = chuànspoken asyí chuàn
- 羊肉串yáng ròu chuànlamb skewer; mutton kebab串 = chuàn
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 串 mean?
串 (chuàn) means to string together; a string or bunch of things; a skewer of food; classifier for strung or clustered things.
How do you pronounce 串?
It is pronounced chuàn.
What parts is 串 made of?
口 (mouth) and 口 (mouth) and 丨 (vertical stroke). The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分（IDS ⿻⿱口口丨），已对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数据核验. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 串 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 串?
丨. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 串?
Common ones are 一串 and 羊肉串. The reading of 串 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.