关 (guān) - to close, shut & to turn off

关Tone 1

guān ｜ 6 strokes ｜ radical: 丷

枫惠

关 · guān

to close, shut;

to turn off;

to concern, relate to;

a mountain pass;

a critical juncture;

a customs house;

a surname.

to close, shutto turn offto concern, relate to

Usage highlights

to close the doorto be concerned aboutcustoms houserelationshipkey pointto turn off

Synonyms

  • 闭— to close, shut
  • 合— to close, join
  • 系— to relate, connect

Antonyms

  • 开— to open
  • 放— to release, let go

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Please close the door (关门).
  • I am concerned about this matter (关心这件事).
  • The customs office is over there (海关在那里).
  • This is a critical moment (关键时刻).

Collocations

  • to close the door(关门)
  • to be concerned about(关心)
  • customs house(海关)
  • relationship(关系)
  • key point(关键)
  • to turn off(关闭)

Idioms

  • Life or death is at stake(生死攸关)
  • To be closely related(息息相关)
  • A critical moment(紧要关头)
  • To close the door and beat the dog(关门打狗)
  • To shut oneself off from the world(闭关锁国)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically referred to mountain passes, which were strategic military and trade locations.
  • The surname Guān is common in China, associated with historical figures like Guan Yu from the Three Kingdoms period.
  • In Buddhism, 'Guān' appears in Guanyin (Goddess of Mercy), though the character differs (观).

FAQ