穴 (xué): cave

Measure Word

一个穴 gè

Meanings

1 cave
2 cavity
3 hole
4 acupuncture point

Characters

穴

xué

cave; hole; acupuncture point

Examples

动物们在穴里过冬。

Dòngwù men zài xué lǐ guòdōng.

The animals spend winter in their caves.

中医用针刺穴位来治病。

Zhōngyī yòng zhēn cì xuéwèi lái zhìbìng.

Traditional Chinese medicine uses acupuncture on pressure points to treat illness.

Tips

culture

穴 is a key concept in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Acupuncture points are called 穴位 (xuéwèi). The character also appears in 穴居 (xuéjū, cave dwelling).

Components

pictograph

穴 xué

cave; hole

Self-radical. Drawn as a roofed dwelling 宀 with two splayed legs 八 below, picturing a cave-mouth held open on either side. The character names a cave, hole, or hollow — and by medical extension an acupuncture point where the surface gives way to a deeper channel. Indexing radical for the cave family: 究, 空, 穿, 窟.

Radical

Cave Kangxi #116

Productive top-position radical for caves, holes, and dwellings dug into the earth — and by extension actions that involve passing through openings. Reliable meaning clue: 空 (empty), 穿 (pass through), 突 (sudden, a dog rushing from a hole), 窗 (window), 究 (investigate), 窝 (nest), 窄 (narrow), 窃 (steal).