坦荡 (tǎn dàng) — (of a road or terrain) broad and level; (of a person) magnanimous, open-hearted, and candid

Definition

Literary adjective with two senses: 'broad and level' for roads/terrain, and 'magnanimous, open-hearted' for a person. The character sense is the common one in modern writing.

adjective
(of a road or terrain) broad and level(of a person) magnanimousopen-heartedand candid

Examples

  • 坦荡，。
    Tā wèi rén tǎn dàng, cóng bú jì jiào gè rén dé shī.
    He is magnanimous and never fusses over personal gains or losses.
  • 坦荡，。
    Zhè tiáo xīn xiū de gōng lù lù miàn tǎn dàng, kāi chē hěn shū fu.
    The surface of this newly built highway is broad and level, making driving very comfortable.
  • 坦荡，。
    Zhǐ yǒu xīn xiōng tǎn dàng de rén, cái néng zhēn zhèng yíng dé zūn zhòng.
    Only those with an open and magnanimous heart can truly earn respect.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

坦tǎnbroad/level
荡dàngopen/wide

坦 and 荡 together evoke broad, level terrain or an open, candid heart.

Characters in this word

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
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
旦
旦dàn坦tǎn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

坦 is made from 土 (earth) plus 旦, which provides the sound. The earth part shows the sense is about ground.

Open 坦 →

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 蕩; 荡 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 荡 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words it is 蕩; in others it is 盪.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艹Written in full as艸cǎo
Sound part声符shēngfú
湯
湯tāng蕩dàng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

About the traditional form 蕩: it is made of 艹 (grass, written fully as 艸) and 湯, which gives the sound. The simplified 荡 is only a later shorthand.

Open 荡 →

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