滚

• Pinyin: gǔn
• Hanzi breakdown: 滚 = 氵(water) + 衮 (phonetic, rolling motion)

Meaning

To roll; to get lost; to boil. Movement in a circular manner or harsh command to leave.

Has three main uses: 1) Physical rolling motion, 2) Water boiling (滚开), 3) Rude command to leave. The 'get lost' meaning is quite harsh and offensive in formal contexts.

Examples

1. 球从山坡上滚了下来。 The ball rolled down from the hillside.
2. 水已经滚了，可以下饺子了。 The water is boiling; we can put the dumplings in now.
3. 这件事越滚越大，现在很难处理了。 This matter snowballed out of control; it's very hard to handle now.

Usage Guide

Context: motion, cooking, colloquial, exclamation

Tone: varies

Do Say

• 水滚了。(The water is boiling.)
• 雪球越滚越大。(The snowball rolled bigger and bigger.)

Don't Say

• 滚！ to strangers or elders (this is extremely rude — equivalent to 'get lost' or worse)

Origin & History

Phonosemantic compound: 氵(water radical) + 衮 (phonetic), originally describing rolling water or boiling.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal