HanziGuru.询 · xún
询
xún[xun2]Tone 2

to ask about

HSK 5
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詢
Guru Deep Dive

English · to ask about

Cached lesson
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Topology:Left-right
Strokes:7
Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (讠) takes up about one-third of the width, leaving the remaining two-thirds for the right component (旬).
Simplification Logic: The traditional form 詢 uses the traditional speech radical 言 on the left, which simplifies to 讠 in modern simplified Chinese.
1. Meaning

to ask about, to inquire

to consultto investigate
VerbFormalBound morpheme#communication#investigation#formal speech
Sample Usage
  • 有事请教，欢迎随时来询。
    Yǒu shì qǐngjiào, huānyíng suíshí lái xún.
    If you have any questions or advice to seek, you are welcome to inquire at any time.
  • 警方正在对案件进行 询 问。
    Jǐngfāng zhèngzài duì ànjiàn jìnxíng xúnwèn.
    The police are currently conducting an interrogation regarding the case.
2. Sound
/[ɕyn³⁵]/Tone: 35
询
xúnxun2
++
´(35)
=xún
Initial Consonant
x
Type: Alveolo-Palatal Fricative
Sounds like: sh- sound made with the tongue flat near the roof of the mouth
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: Hissing friction with lips stretched wide in a smile.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Blade of the tongue approaches the hard palate, creating a soft sibilant hiss.
Final Rhyme
un
Vowel Group: -v vowel group
Sounds like: un rhymes with un in sun
Note: Written as 'un', pronounced as rounded 'ün' [y].
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'ün'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Abbreviated Rhyme Rule: Short for uen
Tone
T2 (35)
2nd Tone (Mid-Rising)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 2 starts at a mid pitch and rises steeply to the top, matching an incredulous English question like 'Huh?' or 'What?'.
👂
Listening trap: Often confused with xiāng or xiong due to the nasal ending. Ensure you hit the pure un rounded sound properly.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: A rising hand gesture starting from a comfortable mid pitch and sweeping upward like an airplane taking off.
3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 7 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (讠) takes up about one-third of the width, leaving the remaining two-thirds for the right component (旬).

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 詢 uses the traditional speech radical 言 on the left, which simplifies to 讠 in modern simplified Chinese.

4. Components

Radical 讠 · Speech Radical (Words, speech, language, communication)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 讠 (Indicates that the action involves speaking or asking questions.)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 旬 (original sound: xún)

You use your speech (讠) to ask about a period of ten days or a cycle (旬) of time.

  • 讠 Speech / Asking
  • 旬 Ten-day period / Phonetic clue
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Combined from the speech radical (言) for meaning and 旬 (xún) for sound, which originally represented a period of ten days or a complete cycle.

Semantic Evolution: From cycles of time to reviewing or inquiring about matters across cycles, eventually standardizing into 'asking about' or 'inquiring'.

  • The right component 旬 originally depicted a shield or a cycle of ten days in ancient oracle bone scripts.
6. Sinosphere
🇻🇳
Sino-Vietnamese
tuân
Correspondences exist in Sino-Xenic readings, matching historical Chinese rhyme dictionaries.
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: ジュン / Kun: たずね.る
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
순
Sound Shift Bridge: Shared root origins with Sino-Xenic vocabulary traditions.
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

Every ten days (旬), you use your words and speech (讠) to INQUIRE and ask about everyone's progress.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
旬
xúnTen-day periodWithout speech radical, refers to time.
殉
xùnTo die for a causeUses the 阝 (left mound) radical instead of speech.
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
询(xún)
Do not confuse with 徇 (xùn - to follow/obey) which has the eye/twine-related elements.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
如果您有任何问题，可以向客服人员进行 [___] 问。
Clue: xún
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the phonetic component 旬 with other similar components like 句 or 包.

Memory Prompts
Recognition: What does the character 询 mean and how do you pronounce it?
Production: How do you write the character for 'to inquire about' (xún) combining speech and a cycle of time?
Real-World Video Context

Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.

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