蹲

• Pinyin: dūn
• Hanzi breakdown: 蹲 = 足 (foot) + 尊 (phonetic) — a position of the feet

Meaning

To squat; to crouch. Sitting on one's heels with knees bent, a common resting position in China.

Squatting is culturally common in China — people squat while waiting, eating street food, or chatting. The 'Asian squat' with flat feet is distinctive. Extended uses: 蹲点 (stake out, be stationed at), 蹲班房 (slang: do time in prison), 蹲守 (to stake out and wait). In fitness: 深蹲 (deep squat).

Examples

1. 他在路边蹲着抽烟，等朋友开车来接他。 He was squatting by the roadside smoking, waiting for his friend to pick him up.
2. 外国朋友试着蹲下来，发现脚后跟根本着不了地。 My foreign friend tried to squat down and found their heels couldn't touch the ground at all.
3. 警察在那个地点蹲守了三天，终于抓到了嫌疑人。 The police staked out that location for three days and finally caught the suspect.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, fitness, police

Tone: casual

Do Say

• 累了就蹲一会儿，别硬撑着站。(If you're tired, squat for a bit; don't force yourself to stand.)
• 每天做几组深蹲对腿部肌肉很有好处。(Doing a few sets of squats every day is great for leg muscles.)

Don't Say

• 在正式场合建议别人蹲下 (Don't suggest squatting in formal settings — it's seen as casual or low-class in some contexts; use 请坐 instead)

Origin & History

Pictophonetic: 足 (foot) + 尊 (honor, phonetic). The foot radical indicates the posture involves the feet and legs.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal