屯 (tún) - to store up, to station (troops) & village

屯Tone 2

tún ｜ 4 strokes ｜ radical: 屮

婷婉

屯 · tún

to store up, to station (troops);

village;

difficult, hard;

also used as a place name.

to store up, to station (troops)villagedifficult, hard

Usage highlights

Station troopsStockpile grainMilitary settlementVillageDifficult beginningTuntian system

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • 散— to scatter, to disperse
  • 撤— to withdraw, to evacuate

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The army is stationed here (屯兵).
  • This is a military settlement (屯垦区).
  • They stockpile grain (屯粮).
  • Tunxi District is in Huangshan City (屯溪区).

Collocations

  • Station troops(屯兵)
  • Stockpile grain(屯粮)
  • Military settlement(屯垦)
  • Village(屯子)
  • Difficult beginning(屯艰)
  • Tuntian system(屯田)

Idioms

  • Clouds gather before thunder(云屯雨集)
  • Hard-pressed at every turn(屯蹇否塞)
  • Troops massed like clouds(云屯雾集)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically refers to military agricultural colonies where soldiers farmed when not fighting.
  • Appears in many Chinese place names, particularly in northeastern China.
  • In the I Ching, 屯 represents difficulty at the beginning of undertakings.

FAQ