Definitions

shān used in 蹣跚|蹒跚[pán shān]

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

跚 is a phono-semantic compound with the 足 (foot) radical on the left, placing it within the semantic field of movement or leg action. The right component, 册, provides the phonetic value. Its primary modern function is in the compound 蹒跚, which describes a limping or staggering gait, an unsteady way of walking often caused by injury, age, or physical difficulty.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image
Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

老人走路蹒

Lǎo rén zǒu lù pán shān.

The old man walks unsteadily.

小孩学步时蹒

Xiǎo hái xué bù shí pán shān.

The toddler staggers when learning to walk.

他喝醉后脚步蹒

Tā hē zuì hòu jiǎo bù pán shān.

He staggers after getting drunk.

在冰上行走容易蹒

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.