幻

huàn

幺 + 𠃌

Definitions

huàn (noun) illusion; fantasy; mirage

huàn (adjective) magical; unreal

Etymology

An inversion of 予, "to give"

About

Formed as an inversion of 予 ('to give'), the character 幻 visually suggests something turned upside down, a deliberate reversal that gives rise to its meanings of deception and trickery. It primarily refers to illusion, unreality, and phenomena without physical substance. The character frequently describes magic tricks, sensory hallucinations, and deceptive appearances that fool the eye or mind. Its semantic scope spans theatrical sleight of hand, psychological fantasies, and vivid dreams, always standing in sharp contrast to tangible reality and objective truth.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我有一个幻想。

Wǒ yǒu yī gè huànxiǎng.

I have a fantasy.

他产生了幻觉。

Tā chǎnshēng le huànjué.

He experienced a hallucination.

那是一个梦幻的世界。

Nà shì yī gè mènghuàn de shìjiè.

That is a dreamlike world.

我看到了一个幻象。

Wǒ kàndào le yī gè huànxiàng.

I saw a phantom.

灯光在变幻颜色。

Dēngguāng zài biànhuàn yánsè.

The lights are changing colors.

这一切都是虚幻的。

Zhè yīqiè dōu shì xūhuàn de.

All of this is illusory.

湖面上出现了一个幻影。

Húmiàn shàng chūxiàn le yī gè huànyǐng.

A phantom appeared on the lake's surface.

他的梦想在现实中幻灭了。

Tā de mèngxiǎng zài xiànshí zhōng huànmiè le.

His dream was shattered in reality.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 幺

Component: 𠃌

幻