滇

diān

氵 + 真

Definitions

Diān (noun) abbreviated name for Yunnan Province

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 真 represents the sound.

Semantic: 氵 Phonetic: 真

About

滇 is a phono-semantic compound: it combines the water radical 氵 on the left, signaling a body of water, with the phonetic component 真 on the right, which indicates the pronunciation. The character was originally created to refer to Lake Dianchi, a large freshwater lake in southwestern China. Over time, its meaning expanded to include the ancient Dian Kingdom that flourished around the lake, and it eventually became the standard abbreviation for Yunnan Province. This evolution marks a transition from a specific geographical feature to a broad regional and cultural identifier.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我去过滇池。

Wǒ qùguò Diānchí.

I have been to Dian Lake.

滇菜很好吃。

Diāncài hěn hǎochī.

Yunnan cuisine is very delicious.

滇红茶很有名。

Diānhóng chá hěn yǒumíng.

Dianhong tea is very famous.

我们计划去滇旅游。

Wǒmen jìhuà qù Diān lǚyóu.

We plan to travel to Yunnan.

滇西北的风景非常美丽。

Diān xīběi de fēngjǐng fēicháng měilì.

The scenery in northwest Yunnan is very beautiful.

滇缅公路在二战中很重要。

Diān Miǎn gōnglù zài èrzhàn zhōng hěn zhòngyào.

The Burma Road was very important in World War II.

云南省简称滇，位于中国西南。

Yúnnán shěng jiǎnchēng Diān, wèiyú Zhōngguó xīnán.

Yunnan province is abbreviated as Dian, located in southwest China.

滇文化融合了多个少数民族的特色。

Diān wénhuà rónghéle duō gè shǎoshù mínzú de tèsè.

Yunnan culture integrates the characteristics of multiple ethnic minorities.

Related Characters

Component: 氵

Component: 真

滇