About
The character 阑 (simplified form of 闌) is a phono-semantic compound. Its enclosing door radical 门 (from 門) indicates a semantic link to structures or barriers, while the internal component 柬 (jiǎn) provides the phonetic element. Originally, it referred to a wooden railing, fence, or balustrade acting as a physical partition. From this concept of a spatial boundary or endpoint, the meaning extended metaphorically to denote something coming to an end, growing late, or reaching its final stages. This temporal sense appears frequently in classical and modern poetic language, for instance in 夜阑, meaning late at night, or to describe the waning of a season.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
医生切除了他的阑尾。
他因为阑尾炎住院了。
阑尾手术通常很简单。
夜色阑珊，我们回家了。
夜阑人静时，他还在工作。
灯火阑珊处，她默默等待。
在夜阑星稀的晚上，他独自散步。
兴趣阑珊的他，对任何事都提不起精神。