calm, composed

JLPT N5 15 strokes

Words with this Kanji

Meanings and Usage

The character (zhèn) primarily means 'town' referring to a small urban area smaller than a city. It is commonly used in place names and descriptions of settlements.

Besides the noun meaning, also functions as a verb meaning 'to suppress' or 'to calm down,' often used in contexts like suppressing riots or calming emotions.

Common Collocations

  • 镇压 (zhènyā): to suppress or quell (a disturbance or rebellion)
  • 镇定 (zhèndìng): calm, composed; often used to describe someone's emotional state
  • (xiǎo zhèn): small town

Usage Notes

When used as a noun, usually refers to a town with administrative functions and a moderate population size. It is more formal than (village) but smaller than (city).

As a verb, is often paired with (yā) to form 镇压, emphasizing forceful suppression. 镇定 is a common adjective or verb phrase meaning to stay calm, often used in stressful situations.

Avoid confusing with similar-sounding words like (zhēn, true) or (zhèn, to shake), which have different meanings and tones.

Example Sentences

This town has many historical sites.

The police quickly suppressed the riot.

He tried hard to calm his emotions.