散 sàn to scatter
disperse; scattered; loose
How to remember 散: ⿱龷⺝ beaten fibres + 攵 tap = to scatter. Grandma hangs the rug with its beaten fibres over the fence, gives it one more tap, and the cloud of dust begins to scatter.
Component breakdown
散 = ⿱龷⺝ beaten fibres + 攵 tap
- ⿱龷⺝ beaten fibres
- 攵 tap
Grandma hangs the rug with its beaten fibres over the fence, gives it one more tap, and the cloud of dust begins to scatter.
How it came to be
A bundle of hemp stalks on the left, with a hand and rod on the right, beating them. The fibres come apart under the blows: that is the picture of scattering.
How it is used
- Read sàn: to disperse/scatter - 散步 (sànbù) take a stroll, 人群散了 (rénqún sàn le) the crowd dispersed, 解散 (jiěsàn) disband.
- 散发 (sànfā) = give off/hand out; 扩散 (kuòsàn) = spread out (of smoke, disease).
- Alt reading sǎn = loose/scattered: 散文 (sǎnwén) prose, 松散 (sōngsǎn) loose/lax.
Characters built with 散
Words with 散
Example sentences
- 老爷爷在树林里散步。 Lǎoyéye zài shùlín lǐ sànbù.The old man is taking a walk in the woods.
- 一对夫妻在公园里散步。 Yī duì fūqī zài gōngyuán lǐ sànbù.The couple are taking a walk in the park.