贯穿

• Pinyin: guàn chuān
• Hanzi breakdown: 贯 = 毌 + 贝 (stringing objects through — penetrate); 穿 = 穴 + 牙 (pierce through a cavity)

Meaning

To run through; to pierce through; to penetrate from one end to the other. Describes something that extends continuously through a space, time span, or subject matter.

Used both literally (a road running through a city) and figuratively (a theme running through a work). Very common in academic writing and formal speech to describe unifying threads or connecting principles.

Examples

1. 这条高铁线路贯穿了东西两岸的主要城市。 This high-speed rail line runs through the major cities on both the eastern and western coasts.
2. 人文关怀的精神贯穿了她所有的文学作品。 A spirit of humanistic care runs through all of her literary works.
3. 这场战争贯穿了整个二十世纪上半叶。 This war spanned the entire first half of the twentieth century.

Usage Guide

Context: academics, geography, literature

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 环境保护的理念应当贯穿整个城市规划的始终。(The concept of environmental protection should run through the entire urban planning process from start to finish.)
• 这条河流贯穿南北，将两岸的文化紧密相连。(This river runs through from north to south, closely connecting the cultures on both banks.)

Don't Say

• 他贯穿了考试 — use 通过 or 完成 for passing or finishing an exam; 贯穿 requires a path or span being traversed, not a task being completed

Origin & History

贯 (to string through, to penetrate) + 穿 (to pierce through, to pass through). Together convey continuous passage from start to finish.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal