贯 (guàn) is a Chinese character meaning “to pass through”. It is written from 毌 (pierce through) and 贝 (shell), one above the other, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “to run through”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
毌 + 贝
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: 说文解字（貫：錢貝之毌也。从毌、貝）
Memory aid
毌 is a shape with a line driven straight through the middle of it. 贝 is a cowrie shell, the old money. Push the cord through the shells and you get 贯 — one string running all the way through.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 贯彻guàn chèto carry out; to implement thoroughly贯 = guàn
- 连贯lián guàncoherent; connected throughout贯 = guàn
Go deeper
All readings
to run through
to pass through; to run through from end to end; consistent throughout
从头到尾穿过去、连通起来；也指前后一致、始终如此。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 贯彻guàn chèto carry out; to implement thoroughly贯 = guàn
- 连贯lián guàncoherent; connected throughout贯 = guàn
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 贯 mean?
贯 (guàn) means to pass through; to run through from end to end; consistent throughout.
How do you pronounce 贯?
It is pronounced guàn.
What parts is 贯 made of?
毌 (pierce through) and 贝 (shell), one above the other. The recorded source is: 说文解字（貫：錢貝之毌也。从毌、貝）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 贯 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 贯?
贝. 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 贯?
Common ones are 贯彻 and 连贯. The reading of 贯 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.