训

• Pinyin: xùn
• Hanzi breakdown: 训 = 讠+ 川 (speech radical + river — words flowing in a directed channel; instruction that guides like a current)

Meaning

To instruct; to train; to admonish; to reprimand. Can denote formal instruction and moral guidance or stern scolding depending on context.

As a standalone character, 训 appears in formal written and classical Chinese. Modern compounds include 教训 (lesson/reprimand), 训练 (train), 训斥 (reprimand harshly), and 圣训 (imperial edict/sacred teachings). The connotation shifts between disciplinary correction and systematic instruction based on context.

Examples

1. 父亲语重心长地训了他一番，反复强调诚实做人的重要性，令他久久难以忘怀。 His father spoke earnestly to him at length, repeatedly stressing the importance of being an honest person, and it stayed with him for a long time.
2. 教练在赛后严厉训斥了几名违反纪律的队员，要求他们深刻反省自身行为对团队整体表现的负面影响。 After the game, the coach sternly reprimanded several players who had violated discipline and demanded they reflect deeply on how their behavior hurt the team’s overall performance.
3. 古代官员定期研习圣训，以巩固对朝廷礼制规范与各项政策方针的准确理解与切实遵守。 In ancient times, officials regularly studied sacred teachings to reinforce an accurate understanding and strict observance of court rituals and policy guidelines.

Usage Guide

Context: family, military, education, classical texts

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 主管把几名迟到的员工叫进办公室训了一顿，要求他们严格遵守考勤制度。(The supervisor called the employees who had been late into the office and gave them a stern talking-to, demanding strict compliance with attendance rules.)
• 这部家训典籍凝聚了数代先贤的人生智慧，对后世子孙的品格教育产生了深远影响。(This volume of family instructions distilled the life wisdom of generations of ancestors and exerted a profound influence on the moral education of descendants.)

Don't Say

• 老师训了一篇文章给学生 — 训 does not mean to write or assign; use 写 or 布置; 训 is specifically about verbal instruction, scolding, or established teachings, not written assignments

Origin & History

训 = 讠+ 川 (speech radical + river — directing words like a river flows in a channel; to guide through language)

Cultural Context

Era: Classical/Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal