汗

hán, hàn

干 + 氵

HSK 2.0Level 4

HSK 3.0Level 4

Definitions

hàn (noun) sweat; perspiration

hàn (adjective) to be speechless (from embarrassment)

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 干 represents the sound.

Semantic: 氵 Phonetic: 干

About

The character 汗 forms a phono-semantic compound with the water radical 氵 (shuǐ) indicating a liquid substance and the component 干 (gān, 'shield' or 'dry') giving the pronunciation. Its primary sense refers to sweat, the salty secretion of sweat glands in humans and animals triggered by physical exertion, high temperatures, or emotional stress. This meaning has metaphorically broadened to signify the hard work and effort that produces sweat, frequent in expressions of labor and exhaustion.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

今天天气很热，我出汗了。

Jīntiān tiānqì hěn rè, wǒ chūhàn le.

Today the weather is very hot, and I sweated.

汗水湿透了他的衬衫。

Hànshuǐ shītòule tā de chènshān.

Sweat soaked through his shirt.

他用手帕擦去额头的汗。

Tā yòng shǒupà cā qù étóu de hàn.

He used a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

夏天运动容易流汗。

Xiàtiān yùndòng róngyì liú hàn.

It's easy to sweat when exercising in summer.

我用毛巾擦掉了脸上的汗水。

Wǒ yòng máojīn cā diàole liǎn shàng de hànshuǐ.

I used a towel to wipe the sweat off my face.

剧烈运动后，他汗如雨下。

Jùliè yùndòng hòu, tā hàn rú yǔ xià.

After intense exercise, he sweated profusely like rain.

汗水中含有电解质和水分。

Hànshuǐ zhōng hányǒu diànjiězhì hé shuǐfèn.

Sweat contains electrolytes and water.

出汗是人体自然的冷却机制。

Chūhàn shì réntǐ zìrán de lěngquè jīzhì.

Sweating is the body's natural cooling mechanism.

Related Characters

Component: 干

Component: 氵

汗