simplified Chinese: 串; pinyin: chuàn

Strung Together

When it comes to this character in the Chinese language, it is interesting to note that it is an accurate interpretation of the definition, to string together. The Chinese character appears to be two boxes that are stacked on top of each other seeming to look like they are “strung together” by one line going down the middle.

While it may stand for “to string together”, when combined with other characters it becomes different meanings of the word. For example:

串门 （chuàn mén）

Literally: to string doors together. Meaning: to visit somebody’s home.

串味（chuàn wèi）

It means to absorb the smell of something else.

烤串 （kǎochuàn）

Literally: 烤(kǎo) means roast; 串(chuàn) means string. Meaning: kabob.

One way or another, the character 串 is meant to show coming together or to group something into one when using it, depending on the context of the sentence.