Chinese word

扇子

Pronunciation

Pinyinshàn zi

Meaning

  • nounfan

Example

老人坐在门口摇着扇子。lǎo rén zuò zài mén kǒu yáo zhe shàn zi

An old man sits by the door, waving a fan.

Illustration for 扇子 (fan)

More examples

她把扇子合上，轻轻放在桌上。tā bǎ shàn zi hé shàng qīng qīng fàng zài zhuō shàng

She closed the fan and gently set it on the table.

Core concept

A personal breeze-maker held in the hand and waved, useful for cooling, display, or performance.

Common phrases

  • 摇着扇子yáo zhe shàn zi

    wave a fan

  • 合上扇子hé shàng shàn zi

    close a fan

  • 打开扇子dǎ kāi shàn zi

    open a fan

Similar words

折扇zhé shàn: A portable fan with a paper or cloth surface supported by ribs that allow it to fold.
团扇tuán shàn: A hand fan with a flat surface and a handle, waved to make a breeze.

Definition in Chinese

指用手柄或手持方式摇动扇面以产生风的器具，既包括可折叠的折扇，也包括一体成形的团扇，常用于降温、表演或装饰。zhǐ yòng shóu bǐng huò shǒu chí fāng shì yáo dòng shàn miàn yǐ chǎn shēng fēng de qì jù jì bāo kuò kě zhé dié de zhé shàn yě bāo kuò yì tǐ chéng xíng de tuán shàn cháng yòng yú jiàng wēn biáo yǎn huò zhuāng shì

Word origin

The form combines 扇 (shàn, "fan") + 子 (zi, "noun-forming suffix"), with 扇子 (shànzi, "hand fan") naming the complete handheld item.

Usage tips

  • The noun covers both folding hand fans and rigid hand fans, so the shape can be specified when a conversation depends on that difference.

Related words

  • 折扇zhé shànfolding fannoun
  • 扇面shàn miànfan leafnoun

Word lists with this word