Definitions

wǎn (verb) to pull; to draw (a cart or bow)
wǎn (verb) to roll up; to coil
wǎn (verb) to carry on the arm
wǎn (verb) to lament the dead

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The traditional character '輓' is structured with the cart radical '車' and the phonetic component '免', initially denoting the action of pulling a vehicle, a usage that became specifically associated with funeral hearses and thereby extended to meanings of mourning and lamentation. Its simplified counterpart '挽' replaces the cart radical with the hand radical '扌', emphasizing manual pulling while retaining the same phonetic element, and this structural shift corresponds to a semantic expansion where the character now encompasses both the physical act of drawing and the figurative sense of grieving, effectively consolidating the roles once separated by the distinct forms.

Etymology Hide

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

Example Sentences Hide

着妈妈的手过马路。

Tā wǎn zhe māma de shǒu guò mǎlù.

He held his mother's hand while crossing the street.

我想回这段友谊。

Wǒ xiǎng wǎnhuí zhè duàn yǒuyì.

I want to salvage this friendship.

医生们努力救病人的生命。

Yīshēngmen nǔlì wǎnjiù bìngrén de shēngmìng.

The doctors worked hard to save the patient's life.

她的这番话回了尴尬的局面。

Tā de zhè fān huà wǎnhuíle gāngà de júmiàn.

Her words saved the awkward situation.

公司正在采取措施救经济损失。

Gōngsī zhèngzài cǎiqǔ cuòshī wǎnjiù jīngjì sǔnshī.

The company is taking measures to挽回 the economic loss.

朋友们极力留他多住几天。

Péngyoumen jílì wǎnliú tā duō zhù jǐ tiān.

Friends tried hard to persuade him to stay a few more days.

这个计划旨在救濒危物种。

Zhège jìhuà zhǐ zài wǎnjiù bīnwēi wùzhǒng.

This plan aims to save endangered species.

他用实际行动回了大家的信任。

Tā yòng shíjì xíngdòng wǎnhuíle dàjiā de xìnrèn.

He used practical actions to regain everyone's trust.