袒

襢

tǎn

旦 + 衤

Definitions

tǎn to bare

tǎn old variant of 袒[tǎn]

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 衤 represents the meaning and 旦 represents the sound. Simplified form of 襢.

Semantic: 衤 Phonetic: 旦

About

袒 (tǎn) is a phono-semantic compound combining the clothing radical 衤 (yī) and the phonetic component 旦 (dàn). It is the simplified form of 襢. The original meaning is baring the upper body by stripping off garments, exposing the chest or arms. Figuratively, it came to describe openly taking sides, showing partiality, or shielding someone with undisguised bias. This extended sense appears in compounds like 偏袒 (piāntǎn), denoting overt favoritism or unfair partiality.

Etymology Hide

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他总是袒护弟弟。

Tā zǒngshì tǎnhù dìdi.

He always shields his younger brother.

她袒露了自己的心声。

Tā tǎnlù le zìjǐ de xīnshēng.

She revealed her inner thoughts.

父母不应该袒护孩子的错误。

Fùmǔ bù yīnggāi tǎnhù háizi de cuòwù.

Parents should not shield their children's mistakes.

在会议上，他袒露了公司的困境。

Zài huìyì shàng, tā tǎnlù le gōngsī de kùnjìng.

At the meeting, he exposed the company's difficulties.

尽管证据确凿，他仍然袒护嫌疑人。

Jǐnguǎn zhèngjù quèzáo, tā réngrán tǎnhù xiányírén.

Despite conclusive evidence, he still shields the suspect.

她勇敢地袒露过去，希望帮助他人。

Tā yǒnggǎn de tǎnlù guòqù, xīwàng bāngzhù tārén.

She bravely revealed her past, hoping to help others.

法官必须公正，不能袒护任何一方。

Fǎguān bìxū gōngzhèng, bù néng tǎnhù rènhé yī fāng.

The judge must be fair and cannot shield any party.

在道德冲突中，他选择袒露真相而非袒护朋友。

Zài dàodé chōngtū zhōng, tā xuǎnzé tǎnlù zhēnxiàng ér fēi tǎnhù péngyǒu.

In the moral conflict, he chose to reveal the truth rather than shield his friend.

Related Characters

Component: 旦

Component: 衤

袒