晒 shài to dry in the sun
to dry in the sun; to expose to the sun; to bask in
How to remember 晒: 日 sun + 西 west = to dry in the sun. Grandma hangs the laundry where the afternoon sun shines in from the west, the best spot in the yard to dry in the sun.
Component breakdown
晒 = 日 sun + 西 west
- 日 sun
- 西 west
Grandma hangs the laundry where the afternoon sun shines in from the west, the best spot in the yard to dry in the sun.
How it is used
- Basic verb "to expose to sunlight", most often in 晒太阳 shài tàiyàng, "to sunbathe/bask in the sun" - 老人喜欢在公园晒太阳 lǎorén xǐhuan zài gōngyuán shài tàiyàng.
- Also used passively for skin: 晒黑了 shàihēi le "got tanned", 晒伤了 shàishāng le "got sunburned".
- In casual internet/social-media speech 晒 has taken on the sense "to show off online, to post publicly" - 晒照片 shài zhàopiàn, "to post photos" (flex on social media), so context decides between literal sun-drying and this slang sense.