What does 准 mean in Chinese?

准 is a Chinese character with the radical 冫.

How do you write 准?

准 is written with 10 strokes, starting from the 冫 (ice) radical and following standard Chinese stroke order (top to bottom, left to right). See the interactive stroke-order tool for the full animation.

What is the radical of 准?

The radical of 准 is 冫 (ice, Kangxi radical #15). Other common HSK characters using the same radical include 决, 减, 净, 冫.

How many strokes does 准 have?

The Chinese character 准 has 10 strokes.

What HSK level is 准?

On the new HSK exam syllabus, 准 is a character to recognise at HSK 2.

准: Chinese Character Details

准

HSK 2 character 10 strokes Radical: 冫 (ice)

Quick Answer

准 is a Chinese character with 10 strokes, radical 冫 (ice), HSK 2 on the new exam.

Full dictionary entry for 准 →Animated stroke-order for 准 →

Etymology

Oracle-bone origin

准 has no oracle-bone form in its modern sense. It is the simplified version of 準, a phono-semantic compound with 氵(water) as the semantic component and 隼 (sǔn, falcon) as the phonetic. The water element refers to a level water surface, the original meaning being a standard or gauge derived from the flatness of still water.

Form evolution

The traditional 準 is first clearly attested in seal script, with 氵on the left and 隼 fully written on the right. Clerical and regular script preserved this structure. The modern simplified 准 replaces 隼 with the smaller 隹 (short-tailed bird) and drops the water radical entirely, producing a compact two-part form 冫+ 隹 that is only distantly related to the original phonetic logic.

How the meaning evolved

From meaning a water-level standard, 準 extended to any measuring instrument and then to the abstract senses of standard, norm, and accuracy. It further developed into the verb to permit or approve, as in 批准, and into adjectival uses meaning accurate or on target, as in 准确. The quasi- or prospective sense in words like 准妈妈 (expectant mother) is a further modern extension.

Cultural note

The phrase 水准 (shuǐzhǔn, level or standard) still carries the original water-surface image literally inside the word, which is a useful anchor for learners puzzled by why the simplified 准 no longer shows water.