满 (mǎn) — (adjective) full, filled, packed; (verb) to fill, to satisfy
Definition
满 (mǎn) is the general word for 'full' — a container, room, or schedule. Use 饱 only for hunger after eating; 挤 covers 'crowded/packed' when space is the issue.
adjective
fullfilledpacked
verb
to fillto satisfy
Examples
- 。Shū bāo lǐ zhuāng mǎn le shū.The backpack is packed full of books.
- 满。Tā gěi wǒ dào mǎn le yì bēi shuǐ.He filled a glass of water for me.
- 满。Zhè ge bēi zi shì mǎn de.This glass is full.
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 滿; 满 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
㒼
㒼㒼滿mǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 滿 pairs 水, showing water, with 㒼, giving the sound. The simplified 满 is a later shorthand, not the original shape.
Appears in
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