坛

壇/罈

tán

云 + 土

HSK 3.0Level 7

Definitions

tán (noun) platform; altar; raised terrace

tán (noun) earthen jar

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 土 represents the meaning and 云 represents the sound. Simplified form of 壇.

Semantic: 土 Phonetic: 云

About

坛 is a simplified character that merges two traditional forms: 壇 and 罈. It is a phonosemantic compound, combining the meaning radical 土 with the sound element 云. The traditional 壇, from which 坛 is derived, used 亶 as phonetic and referred to a raised earthen platform for rituals, sacrifices, or altars. The other traditional character, 罈, used the ceramic radical 缶 to denote a wide-mouthed earthenware jar for storing liquids. Today, a single 坛 covers both the architectural sense of a platform and the container.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

公园里有一个美丽的花坛。

Gōngyuán lǐ yǒu yīgè měilì de huātán.

There is a beautiful flower bed in the park.

他在论坛上发表了意见。

Tā zài lùntán shàng fābiǎo le yìjiàn.

He expressed his opinion on the forum.

天坛是北京的著名景点。

Tiāntán shì Běijīng de zhùmíng jǐngdiǎn.

The Temple of Heaven is a famous attraction in Beijing.

这个祭坛的历史很悠久。

Zhège jìtán de lìshǐ hěn yōujiǔ.

This altar has a very long history.

她负责管理公司的论坛板块。

Tā fùzé guǎnlǐ gōngsī de lùntán bǎnkuài.

She is responsible for managing the company's forum section.

我们在花坛周围种了许多花草。

Wǒmen zài huātán zhōuwéi zhòngle xǔduō huācǎo.

We planted many flowers and plants around the flower bed.

互联网论坛促进了信息的交流。

Hùliánwǎng lùntán cùjìnle xìnxī de jiāoliú.

Internet forums facilitate the exchange of information.

考古学家发现了古代祭祀用的祭坛。

Kǎogǔ xuéjiā fāxiànle gǔdài jìsì yòng de jìtán.

Archaeologists discovered an ancient altar used for sacrifices.

Related Characters

Component: 云

Component: 土

坛