关 (guān): The Chinese Character for close / shut
close / shut
关 means “close / shut” in Chinese. It is pronounced guān. Listen to the sound above, then learn an everyday use below.
When you’re ready, mark this character as completed at the end of the lesson.
How to write 关
Stroke order
Expand to see the stroke order.
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One way to use 关.
关 (guān) means close / shut. The expression 关门 (guān mén) means “close the door”. Here 关门 means physically shutting a door; it does not describe closing a business. Example sentence: 请关门。 Qǐng guān mén. — Please close the door.
Remember 关 Through a Story: The Mat in the Way
1 min illustrated story · A fictional memory aid for 关
Alex was repairing a loose drawer handle at home. A breeze came through the open window and pushed the room door against the wall. He got up, pulled it closed, and returned to the small screws on the table.
A minute later the door drifted open again. Alex tried closing it more firmly, keeping his hand on the handle so it would not slam. He heard no click. From the table, he could still see a narrow gap.
He crouched beside the doorway instead of trying a third time. One corner of the thick floor mat had folded under the door. He stood up, held the door steady, and slid the mat clear with his foot.
This time the door reached the frame and the latch clicked into place. Alex gently tested the handle, then returned to the drawer. The breeze still moved the curtain, but the door stayed shut and the screws stayed on the table.
Can you recognize it?
Which character means close?
Make 关 part of your Hanzi.
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