鈐 (qián) - Seal & stamp

鈐Tone 2

qián ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

器情

鈐 · qián

Seal;

stamp;

to seal;

to lock;

to close;

also refers to a type of lock or a military tally.

Sealstampto seal

Usage highlights

Official sealSeal and tallySeal scriptSeal characterSeal engravingSeal authority

Synonyms

  • 印— seal; stamp; print
  • 章— seal; stamp; chapter
  • 玺— imperial seal

Antonyms

  • 开— to open
  • 启— to open; to start

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The official document requires a seal (盖印).
  • Ancient officials used seals (官印) for authentication.
  • Military tallies were used for troop deployment (兵符).
  • The contract was sealed (签章) with a company stamp.

Collocations

  • Official seal(官印)
  • Seal and tally(印信)
  • Seal script(篆书)
  • Seal character(印章文字)
  • Seal engraving(篆刻)
  • Seal authority(印绶)

Idioms

  • To seal and store away(封存)
  • To stamp and seal(盖印封缄)
  • The seal of authority(权柄之印)
  • To lock with a seal(加封上锁)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In ancient China, seals (印) symbolized authority and were essential for official documents and military commands.
  • Seals were often made of jade, bronze, or stone and carried great political and administrative significance.
  • The character appears in contexts related to bureaucracy, authentication, and formal closure.

FAQ