阑

闌

lán

柬 + 门

Definitions

lán railing; balustrade; door-screen; exhausted; late

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 门 represents the meaning and 柬 represents the sound. Simplified form of 闌.

Semantic: 门 Phonetic: 柬

About

阑, the simplified form of 闌, is a phono-semantic compound: 门 (door, from 門) suggests a barrier or architectural structure, while 柬 (jiǎn) supplies the sound. Originally it referred to a wooden railing or balustrade used as a partition. This sense of a physical boundary extended metaphorically to mean drawing to a close or becoming late, as in 夜阑 (the late hours of night).

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Late Shang dynasty (~1100 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Late Shang dynasty (~1100 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

医生切除了他的阑尾。

Yīshēng qiēchú le tā de lánwěi.

The doctor removed his appendix.

他因为阑尾炎住院了。

Tā yīnwèi lánwěiyán zhùyuàn le.

He was hospitalized because of appendicitis.

阑尾手术通常很简单。

Lánwěi shǒushù tōngcháng hěn jiǎndān.

Appendix surgery is usually simple.

夜色阑珊，我们回家了。

Yèsè lánshān, wǒmen huí jiā le.

The night is waning, and we went home.

夜阑人静时，他还在工作。

Yèlán rén jìng shí, tā hái zài gōngzuò.

When the night is deep and quiet, he is still working.

灯火阑珊处，她默默等待。

Dēnghuǒ lánshān chù, tā mòmò děngdài.

Where the lights are dim, she waits silently.

在夜阑星稀的晚上，他独自散步。

Zài yèlán xīng xī de wǎnshàng, tā dúzì sànbù.

On a late night with sparse stars, he walks alone.

兴趣阑珊的他，对任何事都提不起精神。

Xìngqù lánshān de tā, duì rènhé shì dōu tí bù qǐ jīngshén.

He, with waning interest, can't muster enthusiasm for anything.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 柬

Component: 门

Example Words