Chinese word

扇

Pronunciation

Pinyinshān

Meaning

  • verbfan

Example

你能帮我扇一下吗？nǐ néng bāng wǒ shān yí xià ma

Can you fan me for a bit?

Illustration for 扇 (fan)

More examples

夏天里她用扇子给孩子轻轻扇风。xià tiān lǐ tā yòng shàn zi gěi hái zi qīng qīng shān fēng

In summer, she gently fanned the child with a fan.

Core concept

Move a thin, flat object back and forth to send air toward a person or push insects away.

Common phrases

  • 扇风shān fēng

    fan the air

  • 扇动shān dòng

    incite

Similar words

摇yáo: Making a body or object shake with small repeated movements from side to side or back and forth.
挥huī: Moving a hand or object through the air with a broad, sweeping motion.
拍pāi: Giving something a light tap with the hand to produce sound or a small impact.

Definition in Chinese

用扇子或其他薄片状物体摆动，使空气流动以降温或驱赶蚊虫的动作。yòng shàn zi huò qí tā báo piàn zhuàng wù tǐ bǎi dòng shǐ kōng qì liú dòng yǐ jiàng wēn huò qū gǎn wén chóng de dòng zuò

Word origin

扇 (shàn, "fan") developed from the name of a light, flat air-moving object to the action of moving it.

Usage tips

  • The instrument can remain unspoken when it is already visible, because this verb focuses on the air-moving action rather than the object used.

Other meanings

  • hand fannoun

Related words

  • 折扇zhé shànfolding fannoun
  • 电扇diàn shànelectric fannoun

Word lists with this word