灌 (guàn) - To irrigate & to pour

灌Tone 4

guàn ｜ 20 strokes ｜ radical:

枫惠

灌 · guàn

To irrigate;

to pour;

to fill;

to record (as in recording audio/video);

to force someone to drink alcohol.

To irrigateto pourto fill

Usage highlights

IrrigationPour concreteForceRecord an albumInstill ideasLaxative

Synonyms

  • 浇— to water, to sprinkle
  • 注— to pour, to inject
  • 倒— to pour out

Antonyms

  • 抽— to extract, to pump out
  • 排— to drain, to discharge

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The farmer irrigates the fields (灌溉田地).
  • They poured concrete for the foundation (灌混凝土).
  • He was forced to drink alcohol (被灌酒).
  • I need to record this audio file (灌录这个音频文件).

Collocations

  • Irrigation(灌溉)
  • Pour concrete(灌混凝土)
  • Force-feed alcohol(灌酒)
  • Record an album(灌唱片)
  • Instill ideas(灌输思想)
  • Laxative(灌肠剂)

Idioms

  • Full of vigor and vitality(灌夫骂座)
  • To pour like a flood(如雷灌耳)
  • To irrigate one's garden(灌园鬻蔬)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The character 灌 originally depicted watering plants, evolving to mean various forms of pouring and filling.
  • In modern usage, 灌 carries negative connotations when referring to forced drinking in social contexts.
  • The term 灌水 (literally 'pour water') is internet slang for posting low-quality or spam content.

FAQ