晒

曬

shài

日 + 西

HSK 2.0Level 5

HSK 3.0Level 5

Definitions

shài (verb) to dry (in the sun); to sun

shài (verb) (of the sun) to shine on; to bask in

shài (verb) to share (experiences; thoughts) online

Etymology

Simplified form of 曬. Phonosemantic compound. 日 represents the meaning and 麗 represents the sound.

Semantic: 日 Phonetic: 西

About

晒 (shài) is the simplified form of 曬, a phono-semantic compound that combines the meaning radical 日 (rì, sun) with the phonetic 麗 (lì). In the simplification, 西 (xī) replaces 麗 as the sound component. Its core meaning is exposing things like wet clothes, crops, or books to direct sunlight to dry them or prevent mold. It also describes people or animals basking in the sun for warmth, and modern colloquial usage extends this to publicly displaying or showing off personal achievements or possessions online.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我喜欢晒太阳。

Wǒ xǐhuān shài tàiyáng.

I like to bask in the sun.

妈妈把衣服晒在阳台上。

Māma bǎ yīfu shài zài yángtái shàng.

Mom hangs the clothes on the balcony to dry.

晒过的被子很暖和。

Shài guò de bèizi hěn nuǎnhuo.

The quilt that has been sunned is very warm.

夏天晒太阳要注意防晒。

Xiàtiān shài tàiyáng yào zhùyì fángshài.

In summer, when basking in the sun, you need to pay attention to sun protection.

他经常在朋友圈晒美食。

Tā jīngcháng zài péngyǒuquān shài měishí.

He often shows off food on his friend circle.

晒黑了的皮肤看起来更健康。

Shài hēile de pífū kàn qǐlái gèng jiànkāng.

Sun-tanned skin looks healthier.

为了避免晒伤，她涂了防晒霜。

Wèile bìmiǎn shàishāng, tā túle fángshàishuāng.

To avoid sunburn, she applied sunscreen.

尽管天气炎热，他还是坚持晒完了所有谷物。

Jǐnguǎn tiānqì yánrè, tā háishì jiānchí shài wánle suǒyǒu gǔwù.

Despite the hot weather, he persisted in sunning all the grains.

Related Characters

Component: 日

Component: 西

晒