貫

See also: 貴 and 贯

貫 U+8CAB, 貫 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-8CAB ← 貪 [U+8CAA] CJK Unified Ideographs 責 → [U+8CAC]

貫 U+2F9D4, 貫 CJK COMPATIBILITY IDEOGRAPH-2F9D4 ← 𧲨 [U+2F9D3] CJK Compatibility Ideographs Supplement 賁 → [U+2F9D5]

Translingual

Han character

Stroke order

貫 (Kangxi radical 154, 貝+4, 11 strokes, cangjie input 田十月山金 (WJBUC), four-corner 7780₆, composition ⿱毌貝 or ⿱母貝(U+2F9D4))

Derived characters

• 慣, 摜, 樌, 瑻, 罆, 䗰, 謴, 躀, 遦, 鏆, 實
• 𠍿, 𣩔, 𪷈, 𤎽, 𥊫, 𥖏, 𦄻, 𪭖, 𢿒, 𨝑, 𫉜
• 𭑠, 𫿖, 𮚙, 𭀷, 𥸜

Descendants

• 贯

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 1205, character 17
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 36681
• Dae Jaweon: page 1668, character 1
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 6, page 3628, character 15
• Unihan data for U+8CAB

• Unihan data for U+2F9D4

Chinese

trad.		貫
simp.		贯

Glyph origin

Characters in the same phonetic series (毌) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
毌	*koːn, *koːns
貫	*koːn, *koːns
樌	*koːns
鏆	*koːns
遦	*koːns
慣	*kroːns
摜	*kroːns
瑻	*kuːn
謴	*kuːns

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *koːn, *koːns): phonetic 毌 (OC *koːn, *koːns) + semantic 貝 – 毌 may also represent string of coins.

Etymology

to go through, to pierce

Cognate with 窾 (OC *kʰloːnʔ); see there for further etymology

Cognate with Burmese ခွင်း (hkwang:, “to pierce through”).

Pronunciation 1

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): guàn (guan⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄍㄨㄢˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): gun³
• Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): guang⁴ / guong⁴
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): kǹg / kùiⁿ / koàn

  (Teochew, Peng'im): guang³ / guêng³

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁵kue

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: guàn
    • Zhuyin: ㄍㄨㄢˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: guàn
    • Wade–Giles: kuan⁴
    • Yale: gwàn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: guann
    • Palladius: гуань (guanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ku̯än⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong–Macau)
    • Jyutping: gun³
    • Yale: gun
    • Cantonese Pinyin: gun³
    • Guangdong Romanization: gun³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kuːn³³/
• Puxian Min
  • (Putian)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: guang⁴
    • Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: gua̍ng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kuaŋ⁴²/
  • (Xianyou)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: guong⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kuoŋ⁴²/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou, General Taiwanese, Xiamen)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kǹg
    • Tâi-lô: kǹg
    • Phofsit Daibuun: kngx
    • IPA (Taipei): /kŋ̍¹¹/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung, Xiamen): /kŋ̍²¹/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /kŋ̍⁴¹/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kùiⁿ
    • Tâi-lô: kuìnn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: kvuix
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /kuĩ²¹/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: koàn
    • Tâi-lô: kuàn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: koaxn
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung): /kuan²¹/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /kuan⁴¹/
    • IPA (Taipei): /kuan¹¹/

Note:

• kǹg/kùiⁿ - vernacular;
• koàn - literary.

• • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: guang³ / guêng³
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: kuàng / kuèng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kuaŋ²¹³/, /kueŋ²¹³/
Note:
• guang3 - Shantou;
• guêng3 - Chaozhou.
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁵kue
    • MiniDict: kue^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ²kue
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /kue³⁴/

---

• Middle Chinese: kwan, kwanH

Rime
Character	貫	貫
Reading #	1/2	2/2
Initial (聲)	見 (28)	見 (28)
Final (韻)	桓 (62)	桓 (62)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Closed	Closed
Division (等)	I	I
Fanqie	古丸切	古玩切
Baxter	kwan	kwanH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kuɑn/	/kuɑnH/
Pan Wuyun	/kʷɑn/	/kʷɑnH/
Shao Rongfen	/kuɑn/	/kuɑnH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kwan/	/kwanH/
Li Rong	/kuɑn/	/kuɑnH/
Wang Li	/kuɑn/	/kuɑnH/
Bernhard Karlgren	/kuɑn/	/kuɑnH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	guān	guàn
Expected Cantonese Reflex	gun1	gun3

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*kˤo[n]/, /*kˤon-s/

  (Zhengzhang): /*koːn/, /*koːns/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	貫	貫
Reading #	1/2	2/2
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	guàn	guàn
Middle Chinese	‹ kwan ›	‹ kwanH ›
Old Chinese	/*kˁo[n]/	/*kˁon-s/
English	pass through the center	pass through the center
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	貫	貫
Reading #	1/2	2/2
No.	4465	4466
Phonetic component	毌	毌
Rime group	元	元
Rime subdivision	3	3
Corresponding MC rime	官	貫
Old Chinese	/*koːn/	/*koːns/

Definitions

貫

1. a string of one thousand coins

   • 楊志道：「祖上留下寶刀，要賣三千貫。」 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     杨志道：「祖上留下宝刀，要卖三千贯。」 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: Shi Nai'an, Water Margin, circa 14^th century CE

     Yáng Zhì dào: “Zǔshàngliúxià bǎodāo, yào mài sānqiān guàn.” [Pinyin]

     Yang Zhi said: "This is a precious sword left by my ancestors; I will sell it for three thousand strings of cash."

2. to go through; to pierce

   • 自始合，而矢貫余手及肘，余折以御，左輪朱殷，豈敢言病？ [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
     自始合，而矢贯余手及肘，余折以御，左轮朱殷，岂敢言病？ [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]

     From: Commentary of Zuo, c. 4^th century BCE, translation from Zuozhuan: Commentary on the "Spring and Autumn Annals" (2017), by Stephen Durrant, Wai-yee Li and David Schaberg

     Zì shǐ hé, ér shǐ guàn yú shǒu jí zhǒu, yú zhé yǐ yù, zuǒlún zhūyān, qǐ gǎn yán bìng? [Pinyin]

     From the moment the troops clashed, arrows pierced my arm and elbow. I broke them off so as to drive the chariot. The left wheel has turned dark red with blood. Did I dare to speak of my wounds?

   • 子曰：「參乎！吾道一以貫之。」曾子曰：「唯。」子出。門人問曰：「何謂也？」曾子曰：「夫子之道，忠恕而已矣。」 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
     子曰：「参乎！吾道一以贯之。」曾子曰：「唯。」子出。门人问曰：「何谓也？」曾子曰：「夫子之道，忠恕而已矣。」 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]

     From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE

     Zǐyuē: “Shēn hū! Wúdào yī yǐ guàn zhī.” Zēngzǐ yuē: “Wéi.” Zǐ chū. Ménrén wèn yuē: “Héwèi yě?” Zēngzǐ yuē: “Fūzǐ zhī dào, zhōngshù éryǐ yǐ.” [Pinyin]

     The Master said, “Shen, a single thread runs through my doctrine.” Master Zeng said, “Yes.” The Master went out, and the other disciples asked, “What did he mean?” Master Zeng said, “The Master’s doctrine is nothing other than loyalty and empathy.”

3. one's native place

   • 他岳丈名喚封肅，本貫大如州人氏。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     他岳丈名唤封肃，本贯大如州人氏。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: Cao Xueqin, Dream of the Red Chamber, mid-18^th century CE

     Tā yuèzhàng míng huàn Fēng Sù, běnguàn Dàrúzhōu rénshì. [Pinyin]

     His father-in-law was a man named Feng Su, whose native place was Daruzhou.

Compounds

• 一仍舊貫 / 一仍旧贯 (yīréng-jiùguàn)
• 一以貫之 / 一以贯之 (yīyǐguànzhī)
• 一貫 / 一贯 (yīguàn)
• 一貫作業 / 一贯作业
• 一貫原理 / 一贯原理
• 一貫道 / 一贯道 (Yīguàndào)
• 全神貫注 / 全神贯注 (quánshénguànzhù)
• 博貫 / 博贯
• 同條共貫 / 同条共贯
• 名貫 / 名贯
• 如雷貫耳 / 如雷贯耳 (rúléiguàn'ěr)
• 學貫天人 / 学贯天人
• 家貲萬貫 / 家赀万贯
• 徙貫 / 徙贯
• 心貫白日 / 心贯白日
• 忠心貫日 / 忠心贯日
• 忠貫白日 / 忠贯白日
• 惡稔貫盈 / 恶稔贯盈
• 惡貫滿盈 / 恶贯满盈 (èguànmǎnyíng)
• 惡貫禍盈 / 恶贯祸盈
• 才貫二酉 / 才贯二酉
• 本貫 / 本贯 (běnguàn)
• 條貫 / 条贯
• 業貫盈 / 业贯盈
• 橫貫 / 横贯 (héngguàn)
• 橫貫公路 / 横贯公路
• 氣貫長虹 / 气贯长虹
• 洞貫 / 洞贯
• 流貫 / 流贯
• 淹貫 / 淹贯
• 清貫 / 清贯
• 滿貫 / 满贯 (mǎnguàn)
• 白虹貫日 / 白虹贯日
• 盈貫 / 盈贯
• 祖貫 / 祖贯
• 萬貫 / 万贯 (wànguàn)
• 萬貫家私 / 万贯家私
• 萬貫家財 / 万贯家财 (wànguànjiācái)
• 穿楊貫蝨 / 穿杨贯虱
• 籍貫 / 籍贯 (jíguàn)
• 籠貫箱張 / 笼贯箱张
• 粟紅貫朽 / 粟红贯朽
• 粟陳貫朽 / 粟陈贯朽
• 精誠貫日 / 精诚贯日
• 精貫白日 / 精贯白日
• 紅腐貫朽 / 红腐贯朽
• 縱橫交貫 / 纵横交贯
• 縱貫 / 纵贯 (zòngguàn)
• 縱貫線 / 纵贯线
• 罪惡貫盈 / 罪恶贯盈 (zuì'è guànyíng)
• 羈貫 / 羁贯
• 聯貫 / 联贯 (liánguàn)
• 脈絡貫通 / 脉络贯通
• 腰纏萬貫 / 腰缠万贯
• 舊貫 / 旧贯
• 融會貫通 / 融会贯通 (rónghuìguàntōng)
• 豁然貫通 / 豁然贯通
• 豐城貫斗 / 丰城贯斗
• 貫串 / 贯串 (guànchuàn)
• 貫伯 / 贯伯
• 貫匈國 / 贯匈国
• 貫寨 / 贯寨
• 貫弓 / 贯弓
• 貫徹 / 贯彻 (guànchè)
• 貫徹始終 / 贯彻始终 (guànchèshǐzhōng)
• 貫手著棼 / 贯手著棼
• 貫日 / 贯日
• 貫日月 / 贯日月
• 貫朽 / 贯朽
• 貫朽粟紅 / 贯朽粟红
• 貫朽粟腐 / 贯朽粟腐
• 貫朽粟陳 / 贯朽粟陈
• 貫氣 / 贯气
• 貫注 / 贯注 (guànzhù)
• 貫珠 / 贯珠
• 貫盈 / 贯盈 (guànyíng)
• 貫穿 / 贯穿 (guànchuān)
• 貫穿今古 / 贯穿今古
• 貫穿馳騁 / 贯穿驰骋
• 貫索 / 贯索
• 貫耳 / 贯耳
• 貫蝨 / 贯虱
• 貫蝨之技 / 贯虱之技
• 貫行 / 贯行
• 貫覽 / 贯览
• 貫通 / 贯通 (guàntōng)
• 貫革 / 贯革
• 貫頤奮戟 / 贯颐奋戟
• 貫魚 / 贯鱼
• 貫魚之次 / 贯鱼之次
• 貫魚承寵 / 贯鱼承宠
• 轟雷貫耳 / 轰雷贯耳
• 連貫 / 连贯 (liánguàn)
• 鄉貫 / 乡贯 (xiāngguàn)
• 首尾一貫 / 首尾一贯
• 首尾貫通 / 首尾贯通
• 魚貫 / 鱼贯 (yúguàn)
• 魚貫而入 / 鱼贯而入
• 魚貫而出 / 鱼贯而出
• 魚貫而行 / 鱼贯而行
• 魚貫而進 / 鱼贯而进

References

• (Min Nan) “貫”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.

Pronunciation 2

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): guàn (guan⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄍㄨㄢˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): gwaan³

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: guàn
    • Zhuyin: ㄍㄨㄢˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: guàn
    • Wade–Giles: kuan⁴
    • Yale: gwàn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: guann
    • Palladius: гуань (guanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ku̯än⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong–Macau)
    • Jyutping: gwaan³
    • Yale: gwaan
    • Cantonese Pinyin: gwaan³
    • Guangdong Romanization: guan³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʷaːn³³/

Definitions

貫

1. alternative form of 慣 / 惯 (guàn, “to be accustomed to; to be used to”)

   • 譬如田獵，射御貫，則能獲禽，若未嘗登車射御，則敗績厭覆是懼，何暇思獲？ [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
     譬如田猎，射御贯，则能获禽，若未尝登车射御，则败绩厌覆是惧，何暇思获？ [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]

     From: Commentary of Zuo, c. 4^th century BCE

     Pìrú tiánliè, shè yù guàn, zé néng huò qín, ruò wèi cháng dēng chē shè yù, zé bài jì yàn fù shì jù, hé xiá sī huò? [Pinyin]

     Take an example for hunting: if a man is accustomed to shooting and driving, he will then be able to capture birds and animals. But if he has never climbed a carriage to shoot and drive, then the fear of being defeated in his purpose and of being crushed by his overturning carriage will overpower him. How can he spare any time or attention to think of capturing anything?

   • 我不貫與小人乘，請辭。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
     我不贯与小人乘，请辞。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]

     From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Wǒ bùguàn yǔ xiǎorén chéng, qǐng cí. [Pinyin]

     I am not accustomed to drive for a mean man. I beg leave to decline the office.

Compounds

• 習貫 / 习贯
• 講貫 / 讲贯
• 貫戰 / 贯战
• 貫瀆 / 贯渎
• 貫熟 / 贯熟
• 貫知 / 贯知
• 貫習 / 贯习
• 貫酣 / 贯酣

Pronunciation 3

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): wān (wan¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄨㄢ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): waan¹

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: wān
    • Zhuyin: ㄨㄢ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: wan
    • Wade–Giles: wan¹
    • Yale: wān
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: uan
    • Palladius: вань (vanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /wän⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong–Macau)
    • Jyutping: waan¹
    • Yale: wāan
    • Cantonese Pinyin: waan¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: wan¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /waːn⁵⁵/

Definitions

貫

1. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) alternative form of 彎 / 弯 (wān, “to draw a bow”)

Compounds

• 貫弓 / 贯弓

References

• “貫”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
• 莆田市荔城区档案馆 [Putian City Licheng District Archives], editor (2022), “贯”, in 莆仙方言文读字汇 [Puxian Dialect Literary Reading Dictionary] (overall work in Mandarin and Puxian Min), page 81.

Japanese

Kanji

See also:

Category:Japanese terms spelled with 貫

貫

(Jōyō kanji)

1. pierce
2. approximately 3.75 kg (8.33 pounds) (weight)
3. penetrate
4. brace

Readings

• Go-on: かん (kan, Jōyō)^{←くわん (kwan, historical)}
• Kan-on: かん (kan, Jōyō)^{←くわん (kwan, historical)}
• On: わん (wan)
• Kun: つらぬく (tsuranuku, 貫く, Jōyō)、ぬき (nuki, 貫)、ぬく (nuku, 貫く)、ひく (hiku, 貫く)
• Nanori: つら (tsura)、つらぬき (tsuranuki)、とおる (tōru)、ぬき (nuki)、やす (yasu)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
貫
かん Grade: S
on'yomi

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) かん [káꜜǹ] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [kã̠ɴ]

Counter

貫(かん) • (-kan) ^{←くわん (-kwan)?}

1. pieces of sushi

Noun

貫(かん) • (kan) ^{←くわん (kwan)?}

1. (obsolete) unit of measure of weight corresponding to 3.75 kilograms
2. (obsolete) unit of currency

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
貫
つらぬ(き) Grade: S
kun'yomi

Noun

貫(つらぬき) • (tsuranuki) 

1. (footwear) tied leather shoes worn with armour

References

• “^△貫”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎ (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2025

Korean

Hanja

貫 (eumhun 꿸 관 (kkwel gwan))

1. hanja form^? of 관 (“thread, string”)

Vietnamese

Han character

貫: Hán Việt readings: quan
貫: Nôm readings: quán, quen

Noun

貫

1. chữ Hán form of quan (“(historical) a string of six hundred coins.”)