摊

攤

tān

扌 + 难

HSK 2.0Level 6

HSK 3.0Level 7

Definitions

tān (verb) to spread out

tān (noun) vendor's stand; stall

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 难 represents the sound. Simplified form of 攤.

Semantic: 扌 Phonetic: 难

About

摊 is a phonosemantic compound, with the hand radical 扌 indicating a manual action and 难 giving the sound. The traditional form is 攤, which pairs 扌 with the complex, unsimplified phonetic 難. Originally, the character meant to spread things out flat using one's hands, as in laying objects out on a surface. From this concrete action, it developed additional senses: a vendor's stall or small open-air market stand where goods are displayed, and the abstract concept of sharing or apportioning costs, bills, or responsibilities among a group of people.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他把书摊在桌子上。

Tā bǎ shū tān zài zhuōzi shàng.

He spread the book out on the table.

街角新开了一个水果摊。

Jiējiǎo xīn kāi le yí gè shuǐguǒ tān.

A new fruit stall has opened on the street corner.

妈妈把面糊摊成一张薄饼。

Māmā bǎ miànhú tān chéng yì zhāng báobǐng.

Mom spread the batter into a thin pancake.

这些费用由我们大家分摊。

Zhèxiē fèiyòng yóu wǒmen dàjiā fēntān.

These costs will be shared among all of us.

事情败露后，他只好向大家摊牌。

Shìqing bàilù hòu, tā zhǐhǎo xiàng dàjiā tānpái.

After the matter was exposed, he had no choice but to lay his cards on the table with everyone.

这个烂摊子需要很长时间来收拾。

Zhège làntānzi xūyào hěn cháng shíjiān lái shōushi.

This mess will take a long time to clean up.

他把问题都摊到桌面上来讨论。

Tā bǎ wèntí dōu tān dào zhuōmiàn shàng lái tǎolùn.

He laid all the problems out on the table for discussion.

他这次可真是摊上大事了。

Tā zhè cì kě zhēnshi tān shang dàshì le.

He has really landed himself in big trouble this time.

Related Characters

Component: 扌

Component: 难

摊