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馴 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
馴xúntame, obedient, docilex, 13 strokes, radical 馬
xún(xun2) T2
  1. 1tame, obedient, docile
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

馴xún(xun2)

The character 馴 (xún) means to tame or domesticate an animal, making it obedient and docile. It is often used in contexts involving training animals or describing someone's behavior as compliant and easy to manage. This term can also imply a sense of gentleness and control in handling situations or people.

Strokes13Radical馬
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, taming animals symbolizes harmony between humans and nature, often reflected in literature and art, highlighting the importance of balance and control.

Memory Tip

Imagine a gentle farmer (the radical 馬, 'horse') training his wild horse to be docile. The horse's transformation into a tame creature helps you remember that 馴 (xún) relates to taming and obedience.

Meanings of 馴

xún(xun2)
1tame, obedient, docile
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 馴

馴Simplified
13Strokes
馬Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 馴

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Podcast: 馴

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AI Study Notes for 馴

Quick Contrast

驯 (xùn) vs 驯服 (xùn fú) — use 馴 (xún) when referring to the process of taming, while 驯服 (xùn fú) emphasizes the state of being tamed.

Usage Notes

A common mistake is confusing 馴 with similar words like 驯 (xùn), which is a simplified version mainly used in mainland China. This character is generally used in a formal context, often appearing in writing about animal training or behaviors.

HSK Study Tips

While 馴 (xún) is not on the HSK list, it can be linked to other HSK vocabulary related to animals and behavior. Learners should focus on recognizing the radicals and understanding contexts where obedience is discussed.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly write 驯 instead of 馴 when using simplified characters. Always ensure you are using the correct character based on the context of your writing.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 馴

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Etymology of 馴

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 马 represents the meaning and 川 represents the sound. Simplified form of 馴.

Memory Hint

horse

Semantic (meaning)馬
+
Phonetic (sound)川
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 馴

Phonosemantic compound. 马 represents the meaning and 川 represents the sound. Simplified form of 馴.

  1. 1The meaning half馬 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half川 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayhorse
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 馴? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 馴?

Decomposition of 馴

IDS Structure⿰馬川
馴Full Character
=
馬ma3
left
川Chuan1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 馴?

How to say tame, obedient, docile in Chinese

“tame, obedient, docile” in Chinese is馴xún

The character 馴 (xún) means to tame or domesticate an animal, making it obedient and docile. It is often used in contexts involving training animals or describing someone's behavior as compliant and easy to manage. This term can also imply a sense of gentleness and control in handling situations or people.

When to use 馴

A common mistake is confusing 馴 with similar words like 驯 (xùn), which is a simplified version mainly used in mainland China. This character is generally used in a formal context, often appearing in writing about animal training or behaviors.

馴 or something close to it

驯 (xùn) vs 驯服 (xùn fú) — use 馴 (xún) when referring to the process of taming, while 驯服 (xùn fú) emphasizes the state of being tamed.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mistakenly write 驯 instead of 馴 when using simplified characters. Always ensure you are using the correct character based on the context of your writing.

Write 馴

馴

Practice writing 馴 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 馴

Words Containing This Character10
驯xùnto tame馴
驯服to tame馴服
驯鹿reindeer馴鹿
驯化to tame馴化
驯养to domesticate馴養
桀骜不驯unyielding桀驁不馴
温驯docile溫馴
驯顺tame馴順
驯良docile馴良
驯从tame馴從
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 驯 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 馴

It is pronounced as 'xún', with a rising tone.

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