筛 (shāi) — to sift, to sieve; to screen, to filter (e.g., resumes); to warm (rice wine) by heating; also to pour (wine or tea)
Definition
Most often seen as the root of compounds like 筛选 ('screen candidates') and 筛查 ('screen for disease'); used alone, 筛 focuses on the physical act of sifting through a sieve.
verb
to siftto sieveto screento filter (e.g., resumes)to warm (rice wine) by heatingalso to pour (wine or tea)
Examples
- 筛。Chú shī bǎ miàn fěn shāi le liǎng biàn.The chef sifted the flour twice.
- 筛。Gōng sī xiān shāi jiǎn lì zài ān pái miàn shì.The company screens resumes before arranging interviews.
- 筛。Tā bǎ huáng jiǔ shāi rè le zài hē.He heated the rice wine and then drank it.
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.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 篩; 筛 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
師
師shī篩shāi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 篩 pairs 竹 (bamboo) with 師, which gives the sound; the simplified 筛 is a shorthand.
Appears in
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