Definitions

Shǎn (noun) abbr. for Shaanxi province

Etymology

A place  wedged in a valley 

About

The character 陕 (traditional: 陝) is a phono-semantic compound. Its left component 阝, the "mound" radical from 阜 (fù), provides the semantic category of topography or geographical location. The right element 夹 (traditional: 夾, jiā) serves as the phonetic component. Historically, the character denoted a narrow mountain pass, specifically the ancient Shaan pass in the Yellow River valley. Following the simplification of its phonetic component, its modern use is almost exclusively as the abbreviation for Shaanxi province, evolving from a descriptive geographical term to a proper regional name.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

西有很多历史古迹。

Shǎnxī yǒu hěnduō lìshǐ gǔjì.

Shaanxi has many historical sites.

我去过西西安。

Wǒ qùguò Shǎnxī Xī'ān.

I have been to Xi'an, Shaanxi.

北的民歌很好听。

Shǎnběi de míngē hěn hǎotīng.

The folk songs from northern Shaanxi are very pleasant to listen to.

甘宁边区是革命老区。

Shǎn Gān Níng biānqū shì gémìng lǎoqū.

The Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia border region is an old revolutionary area.

西省的省会是西安。

Shǎnxī Shěng de shěnghuì shì Xī'ān.

The capital of Shaanxi Province is Xi'an.

西方言与普通话有些不同。

Shǎnxī fāngyán yǔ pǔtōnghuà yǒuxiē bùtóng.

The Shaanxi dialect is somewhat different from Mandarin.

南地区的气候比较湿润。

Shǎnnán dìqū de qìhòu bǐjiào shīrùn.

The climate in southern Shaanxi is relatively humid.

甘青地区的地形复杂多样。

Shǎn Gān Qīng dìqū de dìxíng fùzá duōyàng.

The terrain of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Qinghai region is complex and diverse.