驯 (xùn): tame

Meanings

1 tame
2 docile
3 gentle and obedient

Characters

驯

xùn

tame; docile

Examples

这匹马很驯，小孩子也能骑。

Zhè pǐ mǎ hěn xùn, xiǎoháizi yě néng qí.

This horse is very tame; even a child can ride it.

经过训练，这只狗变得很驯。

Jīngguò xùnliàn, zhè zhī gǒu biàn de hěn xùn.

After training, this dog became very docile.

Tips

usage

驯 is a variant/simplified form related to 驯服 (xùnfú, to tame). Often used to describe domesticated or well-trained animals.

Components

radical

马 mǎ

horse

马 depicts a horse's mane and four legs. As radical it marks 驯 as something done with horses - the prototypical animal humans broke and trained. Joins 骑驾驰 in the equestrian family.

phonetic

川 chuān

river

川 supplies the sound (chuān drifted to xùn). Three flowing parallel lines - water finding its course. The combined image is fitting: a horse made to flow like a river, gentled into yielding obedience.