贯
guàn
to pierce through
to pass through; to be stringed together; string of 1000 cash
pierce (毌) + shell-money (贝) = coins strung on a cord
贝 depicts a cowrie shell, the ancient currency — so the image is coins strung together on a cord, pierced through. 毌 gives the sound guàn and originally depicted something being pierced, which in this case happens to reinforce the meaning.
这条路贯穿整个城市。
zhè tiáo lù guàn chuān zhěng gè chéng shì。
This road passes through the entire city.
一根线把所有的珠子贯串在一起。
yī gēn xiàn bǎ suǒ yǒu de zhū zi guàn chuàn zài yī qǐ。
A thread strings all the beads together.
Words with 贯
罗贯中
luó guàn zhōng
Luo Guanzhong (c. 1330-c. 1400), author of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms and other works
恶贯满盈
è guàn mǎn yíng
lit. strung through and filled with evil (idiom); filled with extreme evil
连贯
lián guàn
to link up (disparate elements)
乡贯
xiāng guàn
one's native place
鱼贯
yú guàn
one after the other
鱼贯而入
yú guàn ér rù
to walk in in a line
鱼贯而出
yú guàn ér chū
to file out; to walk out in a line
一以贯之
yī yǐ guàn zhī
(idiom) (of a principle, purpose etc) consistently upheld; adhered to from beginning to end
一贯
yī guàn
consistent
全神贯注
quán shén guàn zhù
(idiom) to concentrate one's attention completely; with rapt attention
大满贯
dà mǎn guàn
grand slam
如雷贯耳
rú léi guàn ěr
lit. like thunder piercing the ear