Definitions

dān used in 眈眈[dān dān]

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "眈" is structured as a phono-semantic compound combining the semantic radical "目", indicating its association with vision, and the phonetic component "冘", which historically guided its pronunciation. Etymologically, this combination yields the meaning of staring intently or glaring, a sense evident in early Chinese texts where it described a fierce, fixed gaze often attributed to predatory animals. Over time, its usage narrowed to specifically convey a threatening or intense stare, predominantly preserved in literary idioms like "虎视眈眈" where it underscores a watchful, menacing attention.

Etymology Hide

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

Example Sentences Hide

地看着对方。

Tā dāndān de kànzhe duìfāng.

He stared intently at the other party.

地盯着老鼠。

Māo dāndān de dīngzhe lǎoshǔ.

The cat stared fixedly at the mouse.

警察地监视着嫌疑人。

Jǐngchá dāndān de jiānshìzhe xiányírén.

The police intently monitored the suspect.

在黑暗中,眼睛地发光。

Zài hēi'àn zhōng, yǎnjing dāndān de fāguāng.

In the darkness, the eyes glowed intently.

的目光让所有人感到不安。

Tā dāndān de mùguāng ràng suǒyǒu rén gǎndào bù'ān.

His intent gaze made everyone feel uneasy.

那只老虎地俯视着它的猎物。

Nà zhī lǎohǔ dāndān de fǔshìzhe tā de lièwù.

That tiger stared down intently at its prey.

尽管对方相视,他仍然保持冷静。

Jǐnguǎn duìfāng dāndān xiāng shì, tā réngrán bǎochí lěngjìng.

Despite the other party staring intently, he remained calm.

在竞争激烈的市场中,企业必须地关注对手的动态。

Zài jìngzhēng jīliè de shìchǎng zhōng, qǐyè bìxū dāndān de guānzhù duìshǒu de dòngtài.

In the highly competitive market, enterprises must intently monitor the movements of their competitors.