Chinese word

掀

Pronunciation

Pinyinxiān

Meaning

  • verblift

Example

他把盖子掀了。tā bǎ gài zi xiān le

He lifted the lid.

Illustration for 掀 (lift)

More examples

她用手掀开了罐头的盖子。tā yòng shǒu xiān kāi le guàn tou de gài zi

She lifted the can's lid with her hand.

Core concept

A hand catches an edge and folds it upward, revealing the hidden side or space.

Common phrases

  • 掀盖子xiān gài zi

    lift the lid

  • 掀起波澜xiān qǐ bō lán

    stir up waves

  • 掀翻桌子xiān fān zhuō zi

    overturn the table

Similar words

翻fān: Flip a page, sheet, or piece of cloth over from its edge to reveal another side or section.
揭jiē: Uncover something by lifting the edge of its cover or lid.
撬qiào: Force something open or free by using a tool against its edge.
打开dǎ kāi: Make a closed object open and allow its inside to be seen or reached.

Definition in Chinese

用手把物体的一部分从边缘向上提起或翻开，通常指把盖子、被子、纸页等露出下面或内部的动作。yòng shóu bǎ wù tǐ de yí bù fèn cóng biān yuán xiàng shàng tí qǐ huò fān kāi tōng cháng zhǐ bǎ gài zi bèi zi zhǐ yè děng lù chū xià miàn huò nèi bù de dòng zuò

Word origin

掀 (xiān, "lift from an edge") combines 扌 (shǒu, "hand radical") + 欣 (xīn, "phonetic element"), so its form connects a hand movement with the sound of the word.

Usage tips

  • In everyday use, this verb suits covers, blankets, lids, and pages, and it normally suggests that the item stays in place rather than being taken away.

Other meanings

  • turn oververb

Opposites

  • 盖上gài shàngcoververb
  • 合上hé shàngcloseverb

Related words

Word lists with this word