膳

饍

shàn

善 + 月

Definitions

shàn meals

shàn variant of 膳[shàn]

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. ⺼ represents the meaning and 善 represents the sound. Simplified form of 饍.

Semantic: ⺼ Phonetic: 善

About

膳 (shàn) is a phono-semantic compound meaning formal meals or dietary provisions. Its left side features the flesh radical 月 (ròu), linking it directly to food and bodily nourishment. The right side contains the phonetic component 善 (shàn), which provides the pronunciation and may suggest the food's quality or virtue. This character is typically reserved for institutional or formal contexts, such as school boarding fees, hospital dietary departments, or meals provided to workers and royalty.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)

Bronze Late Spring and Autumn (~500 BC)

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

学校注重学生膳食。

Xuéxiào zhùzhòng xuéshēng shànshí.

The school pays attention to the students' meals.

我们每天吃三餐膳食。

Wǒmen měitiān chī sān cān shànshí.

We eat three meals every day.

这家餐厅的膳食很美味。

Zhè jiā cāntīng de shànshí hěn měiwèi.

The meals at this restaurant are very delicious.

营养膳食对健康有益。

Yíngyǎng shànshí duì jiànkāng yǒuyì.

Nutritious meals are beneficial to health.

医院提供病人专用膳食。

Yīyuàn tígōng bìngrén zhuānyòng shànshí.

The hospital provides special meals for patients.

药膳是中国传统的食疗方法。

Yàoshàn shì Zhōngguó chuántǒng de shíliáo fāngfǎ.

Medicinal food is a traditional Chinese dietary therapy.

制定合理的膳食计划需要专业知识。

Zhìdìng hélǐ de shànshí jìhuà xūyào zhuānyè zhīshì.

Formulating a reasonable meal plan requires professional knowledge.

根据最新研究，均衡膳食能预防多种疾病。

Gēnjù zuìxīn yánjiū, jūnhéng shànshí néng yùfáng duō zhǒng jíbìng.

According to the latest research, a balanced diet can prevent various diseases.

Related Characters

Component: 善

Component: 月

膳