镇 (zhèn) - To suppress & to guard

镇Tone 4

zhèn ｜ 15 strokes ｜ radical:

丈志

镇 · zhèn

To suppress;

to guard;

a town or market town;

to calm or stabilize;

also used in names of places.

To suppressto guarda town or market town

Usage highlights

TownTo suppressTo calmTo guardAncient townTown head

Synonyms

  • 市— city (broader urban area)
  • 城— city, walled city
  • 压— to press down, suppress

Antonyms

  • 乱— chaos, disorder
  • 动— to move, to stir

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The town is very prosperous (这个镇很繁荣).
  • He took medicine to calm his nerves (他吃药镇静神经).
  • The army was stationed to guard the border (军队镇守边疆).
  • This is a famous ancient town (这是一个著名的古镇).

Collocations

  • Town(镇)
  • To suppress(镇压)
  • To calm(镇静)
  • To guard(镇守)
  • Ancient town(古镇)
  • Town head(镇长)

Idioms

  • To overawe the nation(镇慑国家)
  • A town of strategic importance(重镇)
  • To sit firmly and suppress(坐镇)
  • Town-state(城邦镇)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically, a 'zhen' was an administrative unit or a garrison town, often of military importance.
  • In feng shui and folk belief, certain objects or characters are used to 'zhen' or suppress negative influences.
  • Common in Chinese place names, indicating a market town or administrative center.

FAQ