Definitions
(adjective)
other; another
(adjective,adverb)
separate; separately
Etymology
Variant of 冎. Pictograph of bones. Based on the original meaning "bones". The meaning later shifted to "separate", "other" and "another".
About
The character "另" is structurally composed of "口" representing mouth and "力" denoting strength, an arrangement that in its earliest attested uses conveyed a sense of separation or distinction, likely implying a verbal or exerted action to set apart. While the precise semantic linkage between these components and the original meaning is not entirely definitive, the character historically functioned as a verb meaning to divide or to part. Over centuries, its usage shifted from expressing a physical or conceptual division towards serving as an adjective and adverb, eventually settling into its modern roles indicating something additional, alternative, or separate, such as "other" or "another", marking a transition from a specific action to a more general modifying function.
Example Sentences Hide
我买了另一个。
他选了另一本书。
我们需要另找时间。
她另付了十块钱。
如果你不喜欢，可以另选。
老板另有安排，会议取消了。
此事另案处理。
鉴于情况有变，我们需另行通知具体时间。