Definitions

lán (noun) swelling waves; surging water

Etymology

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

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character 澜, whose traditional form is 瀾, is a phono-semantic compound where the water radical (氵) denotes its fundamental association with liquid movement, while the component 闌 primarily provides its phonetic value of "lán". Its core etymology lies in the concept of overflowing or spreading water, with early usage in classical texts establishing its meaning as large waves or billows. Over time, this literal meaning of turbulent water expanded into metaphorical applications, allowing the character to describe any widespread, surging phenomenon, such as fervent enthusiasm or social upheaval, thereby retaining its foundational aquatic imagery while gaining broader descriptive power. The structural simplification from 瀾 to 澜 involved a streamlining of the phonetic component, reducing the complex 闌 to 兰, yet the character's essential composition and semantic field centered on wave-like motion remained intact.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Jin dynasty (266-316 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

湖面波不惊。

Hú miàn bōlán bù jīng。

The lake surface is calm without a ripple.

微风吹过,池塘泛起微

Wēifēng chuī guò, chítáng fàn qǐ wēilán。

A breeze blew, raising slight ripples on the pond。

他的一生经历了许多波

Tā de yīshēng jīnglì le xǔduō bōlán。

His life has experienced many ups and downs。

这部电影的情节波起伏。

Zhè bù diànyǐng de qíngjié bōlán qǐfú。

The plot of this movie is full of twists and turns。

改革的浪潮波壮阔。

Gǎigé de làngcháo bōlán zhuàngkuò。

The tide of reform is magnificent and powerful。

我们需要齐心协力,共挽狂

Wǒmen xūyào qíxīn xiélì, gòng wǎn kuánglán。

We need to unite and work together to turn the tide.

平静的生活之下,暗藏着情感的波

Píngjìng de shēnghuó zhī xià, àncáng zhe qínggǎn de bōlán。

Beneath the calm life, emotional turmoil lies hidden.

她的内心掀起了难以平息的波

Tā de nèixīn xiān qǐle nányǐ píngxī de bōlán。

Her heart was stirred by waves of emotion that were hard to calm.