毡 (zhān) — (bound form) felt; felt material

Definition

毡 (zhān) is a bound form meaning 'felt' — the pressed wool/fiber material, not the finished rug (地毡/地毯). It only appears in compounds like 毡帽, 油毡, 毡子.

bound form
feltfelt material
Easily confused

Examples

  • 。
    Zhè dǐng zhān mào hěn nuǎn huo.
    This felt hat is very warm.
  • 。
    Dì shàng pù le yì zhāng zhān zi.
    A felt rug was spread on the floor.
  • 毡。
    Gōng chǎng shēng chǎn yóu zhān hé fáng shuǐ cái liào.
    The factory produces linoleum and waterproof materials.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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 氈; 毡 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
毛毛máohair, fur
Sound part声符shēngfú
亶
亶dǎn氈zhān
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 氈 uses 毛 (hair, fur) to show the meaning and 亶 to give the sound; 毡 is a later simplified shape.

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