荡 (dàng) — to swing, to sway; to loaf around, to wander idly; to wash away, to rinse
Definition
A literary/abstract verb covering three main uses: physical swinging or swaying (荡秋千), idling or wandering (闲荡), and washing/rinsing away (涤荡). It is more formal and written than everyday equivalents like 摇 (shake/sway) or 闲逛 (loaf around).
Examples
- 。Hái zi men zài gōng yuán lǐ dàng qiū qiān.The children are swinging on the swings in the park.
- ，。Tā zhěng tiān zài jiā lǐ xián dàng, bù kěn chū mén.He loafs around the house all day and won't go out.
- 荡涤。Zhè chǎng yǔ dàng dí le kōng qì zhōng de huī chén.This rain washed away the dust in the air.
Origin
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.
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.
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