跚

shān

册 + 𧾷

Frequency#3886

Definitions

shān used in 蹣跚|蹒跚[pán shān]

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 足 represents the meaning and 册 represents the sound.

Semantic: 足 Phonetic: 册

About

The character "跚" is constructed from the semantic radical "足", which relates to the foot or walking, combined with the phonetic component "删" indicating its sound. Historically, this character has primarily appeared in the compound "蹒跚" to depict a slow, limping, or unsteady gait, with its meaning consistently tied to this specific type of movement. The form of "跚" itself has not seen significant structural changes, and its usage remains narrowly focused within this context, where the "足" component directly aligns with its semantic field while the phonetic element serves solely to guide pronunciation.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

老人走路蹒跚。

Lǎo rén zǒu lù pán shān.

The old man walks unsteadily.

小孩学步时蹒跚。

Xiǎo hái xué bù shí pán shān.

The toddler staggers when learning to walk.

他喝醉后脚步蹒跚。

Tā hē zuì hòu jiǎo bù pán shān.

He staggers after getting drunk.

在冰上行走容易蹒跚。

Zài bīng shàng xíng zǒu róng yì pán shān.

It's easy to stagger when walking on ice.

受伤的运动员蹒跚着离开球场。

Shòu shāng de yùn dòng yuán pán shān zhe lí kāi qiú chǎng.

The injured athlete limped off the court.

尽管腿疼，他仍蹒跚前行。

Jǐn guǎn tuǐ téng, tā réng pán shān qián xíng.

Despite leg pain, he still staggers forward.

夜幕中，一个黑影蹒跚地穿过街道。

Yè mù zhōng, yī gè hēi yǐng pán shān de chuān guò jiē dào.

In the night, a dark figure staggers across the street.

经济衰退后，许多企业蹒跚在破产边缘。

Jīng jì shuāi tuì hòu, xǔ duō qǐ yè pán shān zài pò chǎn biān yuán.

After the economic recession, many companies stagger on the brink of bankruptcy.

Related Characters

Component: 册

Component: 𧾷

跚