Definitions

lán (noun) basket; container made of bamboo
lán (noun) basketball hoop

Etymology

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

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character for "basket", now written as "篮", originates from its traditional form "籃", which is structurally composed of the bamboo radical "⺮" atop the component "監", serving primarily as a phonetic indicator. This construction directly reflects the object's common material, as many early baskets were woven from bamboo strips. While its core meaning has consistently pertained to a container made of interlaced materials, its application has broadened to encompass any object with a similar form or function, such as the hoop and net in basketball, termed "篮球", where the basket-like target gives the sport its name. This semantic extension demonstrates how the character's conceptual scope evolved from denoting a specific woven object to including metaphoric and functional equivalents.

Etymology Hide

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

Example Sentences Hide

我喜欢打球。

Wǒ xǐhuān dǎ lánqiú.

I like playing basketball.

子里有苹果。

Lánzi lǐ yǒu píngguǒ.

There are apples in the basket.

他买了一个新球。

Tā mǎile yī gè xīn lánqiú.

He bought a new basketball.

妈妈用子装水果。

Māma yòng lánzi zhuāng shuǐguǒ.

Mom uses a basket to hold fruits.

球比赛很精彩。

Lánqiú bǐsài hěn jīngcǎi.

The basketball game is very exciting.

她把花放在竹里。

Tā bǎ huā fàng zài zhú lán lǐ.

She put the flowers in the bamboo basket.

这个筐需要修理。

Zhège lánkuāng xūyào xiūlǐ.

This basket hoop needs repair.

运动员们专注于球训练。

Yùndòngyuán men zhuānzhù yú lánqiú xùnliàn.

The athletes focus on basketball training.