Comparing "chuan" and "dai"
While both 戴 and 穿 both mean “to wear” or “to put on” the body, different items/things that are worn or put on use 戴 or 穿 in fixed pairs. These are set patterns and are not interchangeable.
| 穿 (chuān) | 戴 (dài) | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | to wear | to wear |
| Part of Speech | verb | verb |
| Formality | flexible | flexible |
Contents
穿 means to wear and is used in following fixed pairs
Fixed pairs
- 穿衣服
- 穿鞋子
- 穿袜子
- 穿裤子
戴 means to wear and is used in following fixed pairs
- 戴眼镜
- 戴手套
- 戴帽子
- 戴手表
- 戴口罩
- 戴戒指
- 戴项链
- 戴领带
- 戴耳机
- 戴耳环
- 戴手表
Websites
《新华字典》中有明确的解释，在穿戴相关性上，穿是指“把衣服鞋袜等套在身上”，戴是指“加在头、面、颈、手等处”，即“穿”的是主要的、必需的，而“戴”的是次要的、装饰的，汉字的魅力在此可见一斑。所以，外套毛衣、背心短裤，脚下的袜子、鞋子都是穿上的，首饰珠宝、手表眼镜、帽子围巾，甚至手铐脚镣、鼻环假睫毛都是用戴。
