CS Knowledge Base

頓 U+9813, 頓 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-9813 ← 頒 [U+9812] CJK Unified Ideographs 頔 → [U+9814]

頓 (Kangxi radical 181, 頁+4, 13 strokes, Cangjie input 心山一月金 (PUMBC), four-corner 5178₆, composition ⿰屯頁)

• 噸, 𰔫, 𲲱, 𲴍, 𦡋, 𦼿, 𲆁

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 1401, character 11
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 43381
• Dae Jaweon: page 1918, character 2
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 7, page 4360, character 5
• Unihan data for U+9813

trad.		頓
simp.		顿
alternative forms		頊 䪺 蝢 𢻴 𩠫

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *tuːns): phonetic 屯 (OC *duːn, *tun, “head of a kneeling person”) + semantic 頁. It expresses the meaning “to bow” or “to kowtow.”^[1]

“tired”

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *r-t(u/i)l (“buttocks; heel; dull; blunt; rounded part”); cognate with Tibetan རྟུལ (rtul, “dull”) (STEDT; Schuessler, 2007; Hill, 2014).

This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

頓

1. Denotes motion of force against a surface:
   1. to bow (one's head) to the ground, kowtow

      頓首／顿首  ―  dùnshǒu  ―  obeisance

   2. (dated or Shaoxing Wu) to nod (one's head)
   3. to stamp (one's foot)

      捶胸頓足／捶胸顿足  ―  chuíxiōngdùnzú  ―  to beat one's breast

   4. (dated or Hokkien) to knock, beat, pound

      頓心肝／顿心肝 [Hokkien]  ―  tǹg sim-koaⁿ [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]  ―  to beat one's breast

   5. (Quanzhou and Xiamen Hokkien) to have a trial of strength or skill, have a contest, compete with
   6. (Hakka) to bump into with one's elbow
   7. (Hakka) to pound downwards forcefully

      頓井／顿井 [Sixian Hakka]  ―  tun chiáng [Pha̍k-fa-sṳ]  ―  to pound a well

   8. (dated or Hokkien) to set down (an object) heavily
   9. (literary) to fall down, collapse; (Hokkien, specifically) to fall on one's buttocks
   10. (Hokkien) to stamp, affix (a seal)

       頓印／顿印 [Hokkien]  ―  tǹg-ìn [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]  ―  to stamp a seal

2. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) to descend, go down
3. (literary) to be ruined, decay
4. tired, weary, fatigued, exhausted, strained

   勞頓／劳顿  ―  láodùn  ―  weary; weariness

5. (literary) to abandon, discard
6. (literary) to dispel, eliminate
7. to shake, jolt
8. (dated) to pull, tug; to fling off
   • 16th century, chapter 30, in Journey to the West:

     他忍不住頓絕韁繩，抖鬆鞍轡 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     他忍不住顿绝缰绳，抖松鞍辔 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     tā rěn bù zhù dùn jué jiāngshéng, dǒu sōng ānpèi [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 18th century, Cao Xueqin, chapter 70, in Dream of the Red Chamber:

     紫鵑笑道：「這一回的勁大，姑娘來放罷。」黛玉聽說，用手帕墊著手，頓了一頓，果然風緊力大 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     紫鹃笑道：「这一回的劲大，姑娘来放罢。」黛玉听说，用手帕垫着手，顿了一顿，果然风紧力大 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     Zǐjuān xiào dào: “Zhè yī huí de jìn dà, gūniang lái fàng ba.” Dàiyù tīngshuō, yòng shǒupà diàn zhe shǒu, dùn le yī dùn, guǒrán fēng jǐn lì dà [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 19th century, Wenkang, chapter 14, in 兒女英雄傳:

     早聽見門裡看家的狗甕聲甕氣如惡豹一般頓着那鎖鍊子咬起來 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     早听见门里看家的狗瓮声瓮气如恶豹一般顿着那锁链子咬起来 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     zǎo tīngjiàn mén lǐ kān jiā de gǒu wèngshēngwèngqì rú è bào yībān dùn zhe nà suǒliànzi yǎo qǐlái [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

9. Denotes settling or pause:
   1. (now in compounds) to arrange, settle, place

      安頓／安顿  ―  āndùn  ―  to settle

      整頓／整顿  ―  zhěngdùn  ―  rectification

   2. to place, put
   3. (Mainland China Hokkien) to place somewhere for a short period of time to produce some effect
   4. to pause

      停頓／停顿  ―  tíngdùn  ―  to pause

   5. (literary) (alt. form 屯) to encamp, station troops
   6. (dated) to stay, linger
   7. (literary) resting station, lodging, inn
   8. (literary) lodging provisions
   9. (calligraphy, painting) press and pause
   10. (prosody) slight pause in reading a sentence
   11. (prosody) metrical foot
10. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) confused, chaotic
11. suddenly, abruptly, all of the sudden

    茅塞頓開／茅塞顿开  ―  máosèdùnkāi  ―  to be enlightened all of a sudden

12. (literary) at once, simultaneously
13. (literary) entirely, all
14. (literary) absolutely, completely
15. (Buddhism) short for 頓悟／顿悟 (dùnwù, “epiphany”)
16. (Buddhism) short for 頓教／顿教 (“sudden teaching”)
17. Classifier for meals.

    一頓飯／一顿饭  ―  yī dùn fàn  ―  a meal

    三頓／三顿 [Hokkien]  ―  saⁿ-tǹg [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]  ―  three meals of the day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner)

18. (Hokkien) meal

    暗頓／暗顿 [Hokkien]  ―  àm-tǹg [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]  ―  dinner

19. Classifier for beatings, scoldings, etc.: bout

    真的想把他揍一頓。 [MSC, trad.]
    真的想把他揍一顿。 [MSC, simp.]

    Zhēnde xiǎng bǎ tā zòu yī dùn. [Pinyin]

    I really want to give them a beating.

20. (～國) A former state of Western Zhou, now between Xiangcheng and Shangshui in Zhoukou, Henan, China
21. a surname, Dun
22. Used in transcription.

    頓巴斯／顿巴斯  ―  Dùnbāsī  ―  Donbas

    帕丁頓／帕丁顿  ―  Pàdīngdùn  ―  Paddington

    伊頓／伊顿  ―  Yīdùn  ―  Eton

    萊辛頓大道／莱辛顿大道  ―  Láixīndùn dàdào  ―  Lexington Avenue

    嘉頓／嘉顿 [Cantonese]  ―  gaa¹ deon⁶ [Jyutping]  ―  Garden (Hong Kong bakery)

• (tired):

• 乏力 (fálì)
• 倦怠 (juàndài)
• 勞累 / 劳累 (láolèi)
• 勞頓 / 劳顿 (láodùn)
• 厭𤺪 / 厌𤺪 (Hokkien)
• 困乏 (kùnfá)
• 困頓 / 困顿 (kùndùn)
• 懶 / 懒 (lǎn)
• 疲乏 (pífá)
• 疲倦 (píjuàn)
• 疲勞 / 疲劳 (píláo)
• 疲困 (píkùn) (literary)
• 疲憊 / 疲惫 (píbèi)
• 精疲力盡 / 精疲力尽 (jīngpílìjìn)
• 精疲力竭 (jīngpílìjié)
• 累 (lèi)

• (to pause):

• 中斷 / 中断 (zhōngduàn)
• 中止 (zhōngzhǐ)
• 休止 (xiūzhǐ)
• 停 (tíng)
• 停息 (tíngxī)
• 停歇 (tíngxiē)
• 停止 (tíngzhǐ)
• 停頓 / 停顿 (tíngdùn)
• 夭閼 / 夭阏 (yǎo'è)
• 干休 (gānxiū) (literary)
• 放煞 (Min Nan)
• 斷站 / 断站 (Xiamen Hokkien)
• 斷節 / 断节 (Xiamen Hokkien)
• 暫停 / 暂停 (zàntíng) (temporarily)
• 歇 (xiē)
• 止 (zhǐ) (literary, or in compounds)
• 止息 (zhǐxī)
• 止煞 (Xiamen Hokkien, Zhangzhou Hokkien)
• 瀦 / 潴 (Quanzhou Hokkien)
• 煞 (Hokkien)
• 煞手 (Hokkien)
• 甘休 (gānxiū) (to be willing to give up)
• 終止 / 终止 (zhōngzhǐ)
• 絕 / 绝 (jué) (literary, or in compounds)
• 罷 / 罢 (bà)
• 罷休 / 罢休 (bàxiū) (chiefly in the negative)
• 罷手 / 罢手 (bàshǒu)
• 間斷 / 间断 (jiànduàn)
• 須 / 须 (xū) (literary)

• (suddenly):

• 一下 (yīxià)
• 一下子 (yīxiàzi)
• 一舉 / 一举 (yījǔ)
• 一頭 / 一头 (yītóu)
• 乍然 (zhàrán) (literary)
• 倏忽 (literary)
• 卒爾 / 卒尔 (cù'ěr) (literary)
• 忽地 (hūdì)
• 忽然 (hūrán)
• 𢫦𢫦風 / 𢫦𢫦风 (Hakka)
• 暫 / 暂 (zàn) (literary)
• 猛 (měng)
• 猛然 (měngrán)
• 猝然 (cùrán)
• 猝爾 / 猝尔 (cù'ěr) (literary)
• 突然 (tūrán)
• 突然間 / 突然间 (tūránjiān)
• 豁然 (huòrán) (literary)
• 遽然 (jùrán) (literary)
• 陡 (dǒu) (literary, or in compounds)
• 陡然 (dǒurán)
• 霍然 (huòrán)
• 頓然 / 顿然 (dùnrán)
• 驀地 / 蓦地
• 驀然 / 蓦然 (mòrán) (formal)
• 驟然 / 骤然 (zhòurán) (literary)

• (classifier for meals):

• (classifier for beatings, scoldings, etc.):

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

頓

1. only used in 冒頓／冒顿 (Mòdú)

For pronunciation and definitions of 頓 – see 鈍 (“dull; blunt; not sharp; dull-witted; dim-witted; slow-witted; stupid; etc.”). (This character is an obsolete form of 鈍).

For pronunciation and definitions of 頓 – see 扽 (“to yank; to tug sharply; to rub; to scrape; etc.”). (This character is an obsolete form of 扽).

For pronunciation and definitions of 頓 – see 燉 (“to stew; to heat up by steeping the container in hot water; etc.”). (This character is an obsolete form of 燉).

• Institute of Linguistics, CASS, editor (2016), “顿”, in 现代汉语词典 [Xiandai Hanyu Cidian], seventh edition, Beijing: The Commercial Press, →ISBN.
• “頓”, in 重編國語辭典修訂本 [Revised Mandarin Chinese Dictionary] (in Chinese), National Academy for Educational Research (Taiwan), 2021.
• Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants (教育部異體字字典), A04544
• 羅竹風 [Luo, Zhufeng], editor (1986–1994), “頓”, in 漢語大詞典 [Hanyu Da Cidian] (in Chinese), 1st edition, Shanghai: Shanghai Lexicographical Publishing House, →ISBN
• “頓”, in 臺灣客語辭典 [Dictionary of Taiwan Hakka] (overall work in Mandarin and Hakka), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2022.
• “頓”, in 臺灣客語辭典 [Dictionary of Taiwan Hakka] (overall work in Mandarin and Hakka), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2022.
• “頓”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2026.

(Jōyō kanji)

1. to bow one's head to the ground, kowtow
2. to stop, halt, remain in place
3. to suffer, be completely at a loss
4. to get tired, be exhausted
5. suddenly, abruptly, immediately
6. to settle, put in order
7. one time, once

• Go-on: とん (ton, Jōyō)
• Kan-on: とん (ton, Jōyō)、とつ (totsu)
• Kun: くるしむ (kurushimu, 頓しむ)、つかれる (tsukareru, 頓れる)、つまずく (tsumazuku, 頓く)、とどまる (todomaru, 頓まる)、とにに (tonini, 頓に)、とみ (tomi, 頓)、とみに (tomini, 頓に)、ぬかずく (nukazuku, 頓ずく)、ひた (hita, 頓)、ひたすら (hitasura)、ひたぶる (hitaburu, 頓)、やがて (yagate, 頓て)

Kanji in this term
頓
とみ Grade: S
kun'yomi

For pronunciation and definitions of 頓 – see the following entry: とみ

(The following entry does not have a page created for it yet: とみ.)

Kanji in this term
頓
ひたぶる Grade: S
kun'yomi

For pronunciation and definitions of 頓 – see the following entry: ひたぶる

(The following entry does not have a page created for it yet: ひたぶる.)

• “頓”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎^[1] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2026

Derived from Middle Chinese 頓 (MC twonH).

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [to̞n]
• Phonetic hangul: [돈]

頓 (eumhun 조아릴 돈 (joaril don))

1. to bow (one's head) to the ground, kowtow
2. to fall down
3. to be broken; to be frustrated
4. to stay, lodge
5. to be defeated, collapse
6. to discard, abandon
7. to tidy, arrange
8. to become dizzy
9. destitute, impoverished
10. to stamp one's foot
11. to pull, tug
12. to knock, beat, strike
13. to descend, go down
14. to be exhausted, be tired
15. to dispel, wash away
16. to shake, tremble
17. to put down, place
18. saving, reserve
19. lodging, inn
20. meal
21. appearing extremely sincere, kind, and generous
22. provisions of lodging and food
23. bout, time
24. an ancient state
25. suddenly
26. all, completely
27. very

頓 • (don) (hangeul 돈)

1. hanja form^? of 돈 (epistolary marker)

頓 • (don) (hangeul 돈)

1. hanja form^? of 돈 (“Don”, surname)

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [tun]
• Phonetic hangul: [둔]

頓 (eumhun 둔할 둔 (dunhal dun))

1. alternative form of 鈍 (“dull, blunt”)

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [to̞ɭ]
• Phonetic hangul: [돌]

頓 (eumhun 흉노 왕 이름 돌 (hyungno wang ireum dol))

1. used in a Xiongnu surname

頓: Hán Việt readings: đốn^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]}
頓: Nôm readings: đón^{[1][2][3][5][9]}, đốn^{[1][2][3][5][9]}, dún^[2][9], đon^[1][2], lún^[1][2], nhún^[2][5], rón^[2][9], đồn^[4], đúm^[1], đún^[2], đủn^[3], giún^[9], nhón^[9]

1. chữ Hán form of đốn (“to tap/stamp the ground; to arrange, settle; to station troops; tired, exhausted; to be ruined; to pause; press and pause; time, bout; suddenly; blunt”)
2. chữ Nôm form of dún (“to bend the legs”)
3. chữ Nôm form of đon (“sheaf, bundle; to welcome, greet”)
4. chữ Nôm form of đón (“to welcome, greet; to pick up, fetch”)
5. chữ Nôm form of đốn (“to chop down; to prune”)
6. chữ Nôm form of đồn (“to gather, concentrate”)
7. chữ Nôm form of đúm (“get-together”)
8. chữ Nôm form of đún (“to mess around, play excessively”)
9. chữ Nôm form of đủn
10. chữ Nôm form of giún (“to twist”)
11. chữ Nôm form of lún (“to sink, subside; to humble oneself”)
12. chữ Nôm form of nhón (“to stand on tiptoe”)
13. chữ Nôm form of nhún (“to bend the legs, spring”)
14. chữ Nôm form of rón (“to pick up with fingertips; to stand on tiptoe”)