Definitions

tān (verb) to spread out
tān (noun) vendor's stand; stall

Etymology

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

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

摊 is a phono-semantic compound. Its left side features the semantic hand radical 扌, indicating an action done with the hands, while the right side provides the phonetic component 难. Its traditional form, 攤, pairs the same hand radical with the complex phonetic element 難. The core meaning is the physical act of spreading something flat on a surface with one's hands. From this concrete action, the character extended to denote a vendor's stall or open-air market where goods are displayed, as well as the abstract sense of apportioning or sharing costs and responsibilities among a group.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他把书在桌子上。

Tā bǎ shū tān zài zhuōzi shàng.

He spread the book out on the table.

街角新开了一个水果

Jiējiǎo xīn kāi le yí gè shuǐguǒ tān.

A new fruit stall has opened on the street corner.

妈妈把面糊成一张薄饼。

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

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.

他这次可真是上大事了。

Tā zhè cì kě zhēnshi tān shang dàshì le.

He has really landed himself in big trouble this time.