Definition
钻 (zuān) has three distinct uses: physically drilling/boring a hole; studying intensively (like 钻研 but more colloquial and can imply obsessive focus); and worming one's way into favor (negative). Contrast with 凿 (záo) which is specifically chiseling or digging hard material, and 攻 (gōng) which in 攻读 means studying intensively but with a sense of attacking a subject systematically.
verb
to drillto bore (a hole)to study intensivelyto dig into (a topic)to curry favorto worm one's way into (for personal gain)
Easily confused
- 贴tiēlook-aliketo stick, to paste, to post (e.g. online)
- 粘zhānlook-aliketo stick, to glue, to adhere
- 沾zhānlook-aliketo touch (and get something on), to come into contact with
- 店diànlook-alikeshop; store
Examples
- 钻。Gōngrén yòng jīqì zài dì shang zuān le yí gè shēn kǒng.The worker drilled a deep hole in the ground with a machine.
- 钻。Tā zhěngtiān zuān zài túshūguǎn lǐ kàn shū.He spends all day digging into books in the library.
- 钻，。Tā zǒng xiǎng zuān yíng, cóng bù tāshi gōngzuò.He's always trying to curry favor and never works steadily.
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