盘桓 (pán huán) — (literary) to stay, to linger (in a place); (literary) to hover, to circle (of birds, smoke, etc.)

Definition

Literary verb meaning to linger in a place or to circle/hover (birds, mist). Strongly written style — avoid in spoken Chinese.

verb
(literary) to stayto linger (in a place)(literary) to hoverto circle (of birds, smoke, etc.)

Examples

  • 盘桓。
    Wǒ men zài hú biān pán huán le yì zhěng tiān.
    We lingered by the lake for an entire day.
  • 盘桓。
    Jǐ zhī cāng yīng zài kōng zhōng pán huán.
    Several eagles were circling in the sky.
  • 盘桓，。
    Shān jiān yún wù pán huán, rú tóng xiān jìng yì bān.
    The mist lingered around the mountains, like a fairyland.

Origin

Single-morpheme word
构词法gòucífǎ
联绵liánmiánBound pair

Two characters that only ever appear together, spelling one ancient two-syllable word.

盘pán
桓huán

The characters 盘 and 桓 carry no meaning of their own here; together they spell a literary word for lingering or circling.

Sound-only characters

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 盤; 盘 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
皿皿mǐn
Sound part声符shēngfú
般
般bān盤pán
Same sound today

The traditional form 盤 pairs 般, which gives the sound, with 皿, a vessel. This note is about 盤, not the simplified 盘.

Open 盘 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mùtree
Sound part声符shēngfú
亘
亘gèn桓huán
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

桓 pairs 木 (tree) with 亘, which gives its sound.

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