Definitions

zàn (adjective) temporary; for the time being

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "暂", meaning temporary or for the time being, originates from the traditional form "暫", which is composed of "日" (sun/day) and "斬" (to cut). This structure originally conveyed a sense of a sudden, abrupt break or division in time, suggesting a momentary or short-lived event. Over centuries, its meaning softened from this implication of abruptness to specifically denote a provisional or interim state, focusing on brevity rather than suddenness. The simplified form retained the essential time-related component "日" while modifying the phonetic and semantic element for ease of writing, preserving the core concept of a limited temporal duration that has defined the character's usage since its conceptual shift.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我们时休息一下。

Wǒmen zànshí xiūxi yīxià.

We will take a temporary break.

比赛停了十分钟。

Bǐsài zàntíngle shí fēnzhōng.

The game was paused for ten minutes.

时住在北京。

Tā zànshí zhù zài Běijīng.

He is temporarily living in Beijing.

这个问题且放一放。

Zhège wèntí zànqiě fàng yī fàng.

Let's put this issue aside for now.

的旅行让我很开心。

Duǎnzàn de lǚxíng ràng wǒ hěn kāixīn.

The short trip made me very happy.

公司决定停这个项目。

Gōngsī juédìng zàntíng zhège xiàngmù.

The company decided to suspend this project.

由于天气原因,航班时延误。

Yóuyú tiānqì yuányīn, hángbān zànshí yánwù.

Due to weather conditions, the flight is temporarily delayed.

在政策调整期间,我们将时采取保守策略。

Zài zhèngcè tiáozhěng qījiān, wǒmen jiāng zànshí cǎiqǔ bǎoshǒu cèlüè.

During the policy adjustment period, we will temporarily adopt a conservative strategy.