滚 gǔn to roll
to roll; to boil; to turn
How to remember 滚: 氵 water + 衮 royal robe = to roll. At the costume party the prince spills water on his royal robe, slips on the wet floor and starts to roll down the stairs.
Component breakdown
滚 = 氵 water + 衮 royal robe
- 氵 water
- 衮 royal robe
At the costume party the prince spills water on his royal robe, slips on the wet floor and starts to roll down the stairs.
How it is used
- Literal senses are to roll (滚动 gǔndòng) and to boil (水滚了 shuǐ gǔn le - "the water's boiling," common in cooking instructions and everyday speech, alongside 水开了).
- Also a very common rude imperative on its own: 滚! (Gǔn!) - "Get out!/Scram!" - shouted in anger; learners should know it's harsh slang, not to be used lightly.
- 滚动 gǔndòng extends to abstract "rolling" processes like 滚动新闻 gǔndòng xīnwén (rolling news updates).