钻 (zuān) is a Chinese character meaning “to drill”. It is written from 钅 (metal radical (left-side form of 金)) and 占 (to divine; to occupy), side by side, and takes 10 strokes. It has a second reading, zuàn, which turns up in 钻石 — here the two readings are two separate things to learn, not one card with two answers.
Build the character for “to drill”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
钅 + 占
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：钅 5 画 + 占 5 画 = 10 画；钅 为金字旁表义，右侧 占 的构形作用无可追溯依据，标 unknown）
Memory aid
A metal (钅) bit picks one spot and occupies (占) it, turning and turning until it bores right through — to drill.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 钻研zuān yánto study intensively; to dig into钻 = zuān
- 刁钻diāo zuāntricky and crafty钻 = zuān
Go deeper
All readings
to drill
to drill; to bore; to get into; to go through; to study intensively
用尖的东西转动着打洞；穿过、钻进；也指深入研究。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 钻研zuān yánto study intensively; to dig into钻 = zuān
- 刁钻diāo zuāntricky and crafty钻 = zuān
drill (tool); diamond
a drill (tool); diamond; jewel
打孔用的工具；也指钻石。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 钻石zuàn shídiamond钻 = zuàn
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 钻 mean?
钻 (zuān) means to drill; to bore; to get into; to go through; to study intensively.
How do you pronounce 钻?
Its main reading is zuān. It also has a second reading, zuàn, which only shows up in certain words such as 钻石 — so the word tells you the reading, not the character on its own.
Why is 钻 sometimes pronounced zuàn?
Because it is a multi-reading character: each reading carries a different sense, and the word decides which one applies. In 钻石 it is read zuàn.
What parts is 钻 made of?
钅 (metal radical (left-side form of 金)) and 占 (to divine; to occupy), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：钅 5 画 + 占 5 画 = 10 画；钅 为金字旁表义，右侧 占 的构形作用无可追溯依据，标 unknown）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 钻 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 钻?
金. 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 钻?
Common ones are 钻研 and 刁钻. The reading of 钻 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.