Definitions

wǎn (noun) evening; night
wǎn (adjective) late

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

About

The character "晚", conveying notions of evening or lateness, structurally combines the sun radical "日" with the component "免", the latter historically providing phonetic indication while the former semantically anchors it to time. Initially denoting the specific period after sunset, its meaning gradually expanded to encompass general tardiness or advanced stages, as seen in compounds referring to old age or delayed schedules. This semantic shift preserved the character's inherent connection to temporal progression, demonstrating how its form consistently reflects evolving applications while retaining its original compositional logic.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Jin dynasty (266-316 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

上天黑了。

Wǎnshang tiān hēi le.

It gets dark in the evening.

妈妈点回来。

Māma wǎndiǎn huílái.

Mom will come back late.

年很幸福。

Tā wǎnnián hěn xìngfú.

He is very happy in his old age.

电影上放映。

Diànyǐng wǎnshang fàngyìng.

The movie is shown in the evening.

会节目精彩。

Wǎnhuì jiémù jīngcǎi.

The evening party program is wonderful.

饭后我们散步。

Wǎnfàn hòu wǒmen sànbù.

After dinner, we take a walk.

霞染红了天空。

Wǎnxiá rǎnhóng le tiānkōng.

The sunset glow dyed the sky red.

年的生活要规划。

Wǎnnián de shēnghuó yào guīhuà.

Life in old age should be planned.