镌 (juān): to engrave (on wood or stone), to inscribe

镌 (juān) is a Chinese character meaning “to engrave (on wood or stone).” Outside the HSK 3.0 syllabus (CLEC 2022), it is composed of 钅 (semantic) and 隽 (phonetic). It ranks #5823 in character frequency (SUBTLEX-CH corpus).

Etymologically derived, 镌 metal. Its radical form 钅 (metal) appears in many related characters such as 金 (jīn, metal, gold), 钱 (qián, money), 银 (yín, silver, bank).

Spoken pronunciation

Radical: 钅 metal15 strokesFrequency #5823钅 semantic 隽 phonetic

Definitions

to engrave (on wood or stone)
to inscribe

Etymology & Origin

镌

pictophoneticmetal

Decomposition: ⿰钅隽 (layout: left-right)

Components:钅semantic 隽phonetic

Stroke Order

Practice writing 镌 with real-time feedback — trace each stroke in the correct order and build muscle memory in the HanziFeed app.

Words & Compounds

Common Compounds

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
镌刻verb	juān kè	to engrave
镌骨铭心	juān gǔ míng xīn	etched in one's bones and heart (idiom)
镌心铭骨	juān xīn míng gǔ	etched in one's bones and heart (idiom)
雕镌verb	diāo juān	to engrave (wood or stone)
镌黜	juān chù	to dismiss an official
镌镂	juān lòu	to engrave

Total compounds

As first character

As last character

As middle character

镌 appears in 6 compound words: 83 as the first character, 17 as the last, and 0 in a middle position. Compound statistics computed from SUBTLEX-CH and HSK 3.0 vocabulary data.

Idioms & Chengyu (1)

镌心铭骨juān xīn míng gǔ

etched in one's bones and heart (idiom); ever-present memory (esp. resentment)

phrase

Example Sentences

中国新闻网·体育Sep 2026

探营上海世赛奖牌诞生地：解锁首枚异形奖牌，榫卯与石库门镌刻中国匠心

tàn yíng shàng hǎi shì sài jiǎng pái dàn shēng dì : jiě suǒ shǒu méi yì xíng jiǎng pái , 榫 mǎo yǔ shí kù mén juān kè zhōng guó jiàng xīn

A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Birthplace of the Shanghai WorldSkills Medals: Unveiling the First Unconventionally Shaped Medal—Mortise-and-Tenon Joints and Shikumen Architecture Embody Chinese Artistry

中国新闻网·文化Sep 2026

地名，是镌刻在大地上的活态史书。

dì míng , shì juān kè zài dà dì shàng de huó tài shǐ shū .

Place names are living history books etched into the earth.

中国新闻网·文化Aug 2026

《英雄儿女》《上甘岭》等经典影片，镌刻下扎根现实、心怀家国的创作传统。

yīng xióng ér nǚ shàng gān lǐng děng jīng diǎn yǐng piàn , juān kè xià zhā gēn xiàn shí , xīn huái jiā guó de chuàng zuò chuán tǒng .

Classic films such as *Heroic Sons and Daughters* and *Shangganling* have established a creative tradition rooted in reality and imbued with a sense of patriotism.

中国新闻网·文化Aug 2026

《重器》镌刻法治拓荒之路以写实叙事致敬代代法律人

chóng qì juān kè fǎ zhì tuò huāng zhī lù yǐ xiě shí xù shì zhì jìng dài dài fǎ lǜ rén

"Great Instruments": Chronicling the Pioneering Path of the Rule of Law, Paying Tribute to Generations of Legal Professionals Through Realistic Narrative

中国新闻网·体育Jul 2026

一幕幕名场面，镌刻成这个夏天独有的绿茵记忆。

yī mù mù míng chǎng miàn , juān kè chéng zhè gè xià tiān dú yǒu de lǜ yīn jì yì .

One iconic moment after another has etched itself into the unique memories of this summer on the soccer field.

Character Family

Semantic Family — Characters sharing the 钅 (metal) component

钱qián 钟zhōng 银yín 铁tiě 销xiāo 镇zhèn 镜jìng 键jiàn 锁suǒ 镖biāo

Related Characters

金jīn 钱qián 银yín 铁tiě 钢gāng 铜tóng 钟zhōng 针zhēn 错cuò 钉dīng

Frequently Asked Questions

What does 镌 (juān) mean in Chinese?

镌 (juān) primarily means "to engrave (on wood or stone)." It is not part of the HSK 3.0 syllabus. It ranks #5823 in character frequency.

What's the difference between 镌 and 携?

镌 (juān) and 携 (xié) are often confused. confusable. The key distinguishing feature: 钅 vs 扌 (same 隽 component).

How many strokes does 镌 have?

镌 is written with 15 strokes. The correct stroke order matters for recognition and handwriting speed — practice with the animated guide above to build proper technique.

What is the radical of 镌?

The radical associated with 镌 is 钅 (metal). This radical appears in many characters related to metal.

What are the components of 镌?

镌 is composed of: 钅 (semantic), 隽 (phonetic). Its IDS decomposition is ⿰钅隽 with a left-right layout. Understanding the components helps with both memorization and recognizing related characters.

What are common words containing 镌?

Common words with 镌 include: 镌刻 (juān kè, "to engrave"); 镌骨铭心 (juān gǔ míng xīn, "etched in one's bones and heart (idiom)"); 镌心铭骨 (juān xīn míng gǔ, "etched in one's bones and heart (idiom)"); 雕镌 (diāo juān, "to engrave (wood or stone)"); 镌黜 (juān chù, "to dismiss an official"). There are over 6 compound words containing this character.

Is 镌 the same in simplified and traditional Chinese?

No. The simplified form is 镌 and the traditional form is 鐫.

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