Definitions

màn (adjective) free; unrestrained
màn (verb) to flood; to inundate

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "漫" combines the water radical (氵) with the component "曼", which serves as a phonetic indicator while also carrying connotations of elongation or extension. Its original sense referred to water overflowing or spreading indiscriminately, a meaning that directly informs its structure. From this concrete foundation, the term acquired broader applications, denoting anything unconfined, pervasive, or without strict boundaries. This semantic expansion led to its use in describing unrestrained behavior, casual expression, and things that are widespread or random, as seen in compounds like "漫画" for cartoons, which evolved from a sense of uninhibited sketching.

Etymology Hide

Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我喜欢看画。

Wǒ xǐhuān kàn mànhuà.

I like reading comics.

这条路很长。

Zhè tiáo lù hěn màncháng.

This road is very long.

他喜欢在河边步。

Tā xǐhuān zài hébiān mànbù.

He likes strolling by the river.

他们的爱情很浪

Tāmen de àiqíng hěn làngmàn.

Their love is very romantic.

烟雾弥了整个房间。

Yānwù mímàn le zhěnggè fángjiān.

Smoke filled the entire room.

我们游了欧洲多个国家。

Wǒmen mànyóu le Ōuzhōu duō gè guójiā.

We wandered through many countries in Europe.

教授和我们谈人生哲理。

Jiàoshòu hé wǒmen màntán rénshēng zhélǐ.

The professor chatted with us about life philosophy.

天雪花纷纷扬扬地落下。

Màntiān xuěhuā fēnfēnyángyáng de luòxià.

Snowflakes fall all over the sky, fluttering down.