About
汉 is the simplified form of 漢, a phonosemantic compound in which 氵 (the water radical) signals the meaning and 𦰩 gives the sound. In the simplified character, the complex phonetic 𦰩 is abbreviated to 又, itself originally a pictograph of a right hand that can mean "again", but functioning here purely as a graphic substitute. The character first named the Han River in central China; because the river basin was the cradle of the Han Dynasty, the meaning broadened to refer to that dynasty. Over time, 汉 came to designate the Han ethnic majority, the Chinese language, and, in casual use, an adult man or a fellow.
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Example Sentences Hide
我会说汉语。
汉字很难写。
他买了一个汉堡。
姐姐喜欢穿汉服。
汉族是中国的主要民族。
武汉是一座美丽的城市。
这本汉英词典很有用。
汉代在历史上非常强盛。
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