穿 (chuān) means "to wear / put on," but only for the class of things you pull onto the body — shirts, trousers, socks, shoes, gloves. English uses one verb "wear" for a coat and a hat alike; Chinese splits that: things you slip onto a limb or torso take 穿, while things that hang, perch, or clip on — hats, glasses, watches, rings, scarves — take 戴 (dài). Getting this pair right is one of the clearest markers of a learner who has internalized how Chinese carves up the world. 穿 has a second, unrelated life too: "to pierce / pass through" (穿过).
Sense 1: put on / wear clothing and shoes
穿 covers both the action ("put on") and the state ("have on"), disambiguated by aspect (see below). The object is anything worn on the body proper.
今天很冷，多穿点儿。
jīntiān hěn lěng, duō chuān diǎnr
It's cold today — put on a bit more. (informal) — bare 穿 with no named garment.
你穿多大的鞋？
nǐ chuān duō dà de xié
What shoe size do you wear? — shoes go onto the feet, so 穿.
面试别穿得太随便。
miànshì bié chuān de tài suíbiàn
Don't dress too casually for the interview. — 穿得 + manner complement 'dress (in a way that…)'.
Sense 2: aspect — 穿 vs 穿着 vs 穿上
This is where learners slip. 穿 on its own is the plain action. 穿着 (chuānzhe), with the durative marker 着, describes the ongoing state of having something on — the go-to form for "she is wearing…". 穿上 (chuānshàng) marks the completed act of putting on. And 正在穿 means literally in the process of dressing — pulling the garment on right now, not the resulting state.
她穿着一条红裙子。
tā chuānzhe yì tiáo hóng qúnzi
She's wearing a red skirt. — 穿着 = the ongoing STATE of wearing.
快穿上外套，我们要出门了。
kuài chuān shàng wàitào, wǒmen yào chūmén le
Put your coat on quick, we're leaving. — 穿上 = complete the act of putting on.
这件衬衫我穿着有点儿紧。
zhè jiàn chènshān wǒ chuānzhe yǒudiǎnr jǐn
This shirt feels a bit tight on me. — 穿着 'while wearing it, it is…'.
Sense 3: pierce / pass through
The other 穿 is spatial: to go through something. It usually appears as 穿过 (chuānguò) "pass through / across," or figuratively in 看穿 (kànchuān) "see through."
穿过这条马路就到了。
chuānguò zhè tiáo mǎlù jiù dào le
Cross this street and you're there. — 穿过 'pass through/across'.
我一眼就看穿了他的谎话。
wǒ yì yǎn jiù kànchuān le tā de huǎnghuà
I saw through his lie in an instant. — 看穿 'see through', figurative.
穿 vs 戴: which verb for what
| 穿 (chuān) — pull onto body | 戴 (dài) — attach / perch on |
|---|---|
| 穿衣服 (chuān yīfu) — clothes | 戴帽子 (dài màozi) — hat |
| 穿裤子 (chuān kùzi) — trousers | 戴眼镜 (dài yǎnjìng) — glasses |
| 穿鞋 (chuān xié) — shoes | 戴手表 (dài shǒubiǎo) — watch |
| 穿袜子 (chuān wàzi) — socks | 戴戒指 (dài jièzhi) — ring |
| 穿大衣 (chuān dàyī) — overcoat | 戴围巾 (dài wéijīn) — scarf |
天冷别忘了戴帽子、戴手套。
tiān lěng bié wàng le dài màozi, dài shǒutào
Don't forget your hat and gloves in the cold. — hat and gloves both perch/clip, so 戴.
The rule of thumb: if the item wraps around a limb or torso you 穿 it; if it sits on / hangs from a part of the body, you 戴 it. Gloves (手套) are the classic edge case — they slip over the fingers, and Chinese treats them as 戴, not 穿. The full contrast, including scarves and jewelry, lives on the 穿 vs 戴 (wearing verbs) page.
Common Mistakes
1. Using 穿 for hats, glasses, or watches. These attach rather than pull on, so they take 戴.
❌ 他穿着一副眼镜。
Incorrect — glasses take 戴: 戴着一副眼镜.
✅ 他戴着一副眼镜。
tā dàizhe yí fù yǎnjìng
He's wearing a pair of glasses.
2. Writing 带 (bring) where you mean 戴 (wear). They're both dài — different characters, different meanings.
❌ 她带着一顶红帽子。
Wrong character — 带 is 'bring/carry'; 'wear a hat' is 戴帽子.
✅ 她戴着一顶红帽子。
tā dàizhe yì dǐng hóng màozi
She's wearing a red hat.
3. Using 正在穿 to mean "is wearing (state)." 正在穿 = in the act of pulling it on.
❌ 她正在穿一条红裙子。
Means she's in the middle of putting it on — for the state 'is wearing', use 穿着.
✅ 她穿着一条红裙子。
tā chuānzhe yì tiáo hóng qúnzi
She's wearing a red skirt.
4. Forgetting the garment's measure word. Tops take 件, bottoms and long items take 条, shoes take 双.
❌ 我买了一个裤子。
Wrong measure word — trousers take 条, not 个.
✅ 我买了一条裤子。
wǒ mǎi le yì tiáo kùzi
I bought a pair of trousers. — see the buy/sell verb 买/卖.
Key Takeaways
- 穿 = wear/put on things you pull onto the body (clothes, trousers, shoes, socks, gloves-exception aside).
- 戴 = wear things that attach or perch — hats, glasses, watches, rings, scarves; gloves count as 戴.
- Aspect matters: 穿着 = the state of wearing, 穿上 = the completed act, 正在穿 = in the act of dressing.
- 穿 also means "pass through / pierce" — 穿过 (cross), 看穿 (see through).
- Watch the homophone trap: 戴 (wear, accessory) vs 带 (bring/carry), both dài.
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- 带 (dài) — bring / take / carry / leadHSK 3 — 带 (dài) is 'have with you / carry along' — 带钱, 带伞, 带护照 — and with 来/去 it covers both English 'bring' and 'take'; it also means 'lead' (带路, 带孩子). Beware the homophone 戴 (wear accessories).
- 买 / 卖 (mǎi / mài) — buy / sellHSK 1 — 买 (mǎi, tone 3) 'buy' and 卖 (mài, tone 4) 'sell' are a minimal pair — same shape, opposite meaning, told apart entirely by tone. Get the tone wrong and you flip buyer into seller. Includes 买东西, 卖完, and the affordability potential 买不起.