胖

pán, pàng

半 + 月

HSK 2.0Level 3

HSK 3.0Level 3

Definitions

pàng (adjective) fat; plump

pán (adjective) healthy

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. ⺼ represents the meaning and 半 represents the sound.

Semantic: ⺼ Phonetic: 半

About

胖 is a phono-semantic compound. The left side, the moon radical 月, represents the flesh radical ⺼ (肉), linking the character to the body and meat. The right side 半 (bàn, 'half') supplies the sound. In ancient texts, it denoted the meat of sacrificial offerings; this narrow use broadened into the modern meaning of 'fat' or 'plump,' referring to the physical stoutness of people and animals.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他长得有点胖。

Tā zhǎng de yǒudiǎn pàng.

He looks a bit fat.

那只狗很胖。

Nà zhī gǒu hěn pàng.

That dog is very fat.

妈妈说我变胖了。

Māma shuō wǒ biàn pàng le.

Mom said I gained weight.

胖乎乎的小孩很可爱。

Pàng hūhū de xiǎohái hěn kě'ài.

The chubby child is very cute.

减肥后她不再胖了。

Jiǎnféi hòu tā bù zài pàng le.

After losing weight, she is no longer fat.

过度肥胖对健康有害。

Guòdù féipàng duì jiànkāng yǒu hài.

Obesity is harmful to health.

尽管胖，他还是很灵活。

Jǐnguǎn pàng, tā háishì hěn línghuó.

Despite being fat, he is still agile.

现代社会中，肥胖问题日益严重。

Xiàndài shèhuì zhōng, féipàng wèntí rìyì yánzhòng.

In modern society, the obesity problem is becoming increasingly serious.

Related Characters

Component: 半

Component: 月

胖