颤动 (chàn dòng) — to vibrate; to quiver; to tremble (slightly)

Definition

A vivid verb for small, repeated shaking — leaves in a breeze, a voice under stress, the ground in a quake. Suggests a visible quivering rather than a single jolt.

verb
to vibrateto quiverto tremble (slightly)

Examples

  • 颤动。
    Shù yè zài wēi fēng zhōng qīng qīng chàn dòng.
    The leaves quivered gently in the breeze.
  • ，颤动。
    Tā xīn lǐ yì jǐn zhāng, shēng yīn jiù kāi shǐ chàn dòng.
    As soon as he got nervous, his voice began to tremble.
  • 颤动，。
    Dì zhèn shí dì miàn jù liè chàn dòng, ràng rén zhàn bù wěn.
    During the earthquake the ground vibrated violently, making it hard to stand steady.

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.

颤chàntremble
动dòngmove

颤 and 动 both describe slight movement, so together they mean vibrate or quiver.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 顫; 颤 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yèhead
Sound part声符shēngfú
亶
亶dǎn顫chàn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 顫, 頁 shows the head and 亶 supplies the sound; the simplified 颤 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original components.

Open 颤 →

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 動; 动 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìstrength
Sound part声符shēngfú
重
重zhòng動dòng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 動 uses 力 (strength) and 重 as a sound part; 重 refers to a heavy bag ready to be moved by a human. This note is about 動, not 动.

Open 动 →

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