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扇动 (shān dòng) — to fan, to flap (wings, etc.); to incite, to instigate (a strike, unrest, etc.)

Definition

扇动 (shān) covers two distinct senses: physically flapping (wings, a fan) and figuratively inciting unrest or a strike — the latter is the more advanced usage tested at HSK 7.

verb
to fanto flap (wings, etc.)to inciteto instigate (a strike, unrest, etc.)

Examples

  • 扇动，。
    Tā yòng shàn zi shān dòng le jǐ xià, gǎn jué liáng kuai duō le.
    He fanned himself a few times with a fan and felt much cooler.
  • 扇动，。
    Hú dié shān dòng zhe chì bǎng, zài huā cóng zhōng fēi wǔ.
    The butterfly flapped its wings, flying among the flowers.
  • 扇动，。
    Yǒu rén shì tú shān dòng gōng rén bà gōng, dàn bèi lǐng dǎo zhì zhǐ le.
    Someone tried to incite the workers to strike, but was stopped by the leaders.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

扇shànfan
动dòngmove

扇 means to fan or flap and 动 means to move, so the word expresses fanning something into motion.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

扇 puts 戶 (door) over 羽 (feather).

Open 扇 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 動; 动 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìstrength
Sound part声符shēngfú
重
重zhòng動dòng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 動 uses 力 (strength) and 重 as a sound part; 重 refers to a heavy bag ready to be moved by a human. This note is about 動, not 动.

Open 动 →
Appears in
Communication & Speech

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