掀 (xiān) — to lift (a lid, cover, etc.); to stir up, to cause (a wave, controversy, etc.)
Definition
掀 is a physical 'lift' verb (a lid, cover, curtain) that extends metaphorically to 'stir up' a wave of feeling or controversy. Compared to 轰动 (cause a sensation), 掀 describes the action that triggers the stir, not the stir itself.
verb
to lift (a lid, cover, etc.)to stir upto cause (a wave, controversy, etc.)
Examples
- ，。Tā xiān kāi guō gài, kàn le kàn tāng.She lifted the pot lid and looked at the soup.
- 。Tā de yǎn jiǎng xiān qǐ le quán chǎng de rè qíng.His speech stirred up the enthusiasm of the whole audience.
- 。Dà làng xiān fān le xiǎo chuán.Big waves overturned the small boat.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
The left part 扌 is the hand radical, showing an action done with the hand. The right part 欣 gives the character its sound.
Appears in
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