阪

bǎn

反 + 阝

Definitions

bǎn slope; hillside

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 阝 represents the meaning and 反 represents the sound.

Semantic: 阝 Phonetic: 反

About

阪 is a phono-semantic compound: the radical 阝 'mound, hill' indicates a topographic feature, while 反 provides the sound. It means a slope or hillside, functioning as a variant of 坂 with the same pronunciation and meaning. The character appears often in proper nouns and historical place names, notably Osaka, and has remained restricted to sloping terrain without acquiring broad figurative senses.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

大阪是繁华的城市。

Dàbǎn shì fánhuá de chéngshì.

Osaka is a bustling city.

他们住在阪神地区。

Tāmen zhù zài Bǎnshén dìqū.

They live in the Hanshin region.

阪道骑行需要小心。

Bǎndào qíxīng xūyào xiǎoxīn.

Cycling on a slope requires caution.

大阪的天气通常很暖和。

Dàbǎn de tiānqì tōngcháng hěn nuǎnhuo.

The weather in Osaka is usually warm.

这个阪的坡度很大。

Zhège bǎn de pōdù hěn dà.

The gradient of this slope is very steep.

攀登这个阪非常费力。

Pāndēng zhège bǎn fēicháng fèilì.

Climbing this slope is very strenuous.

这条阪道蜿蜒穿过山林。

Zhè tiáo bǎndào wānyán chuānguò shānlín.

This sloped road winds through the mountain forest.

在大阪旅行时，我们参观了阪神百货。

Zài Dàbǎn lǚxíng shí, wǒmen cānguānle Bǎnshén bǎihuò.

When traveling in Osaka, we visited the Hanshin Department Store.

Related Characters

Component: 反

Component: 阝

阪