搀 (chān) — to take by the arm and assist (e.g., an elderly or injured person); to mix, blend, dilute, or adulterate (one substance into another)
Definition
搀 has two unrelated senses: 'take by the arm and help' (a person) and 'mix in, dilute, adulterate' (a substance). The mixing sense overlaps with 掺 (the same word, used for substances only) and 混合. 搀扶 is a set verb-object pattern.
verb
to take by the arm and assist (e.g., an elderly or injured person)to mixblenddiluteor adulterate (one substance into another)
Easily confused
- 扬yánglook-aliketo raise, to lift up
- 掺chānsound-aliketo mix (one substance into another), to blend in, to adulterate (by adding something)
- 抛pāolook-aliketo throw, to toss, to fling
- 报bàolook-aliketo report, to announce
- 拣jiǎnlook-aliketo pick, to choose (from a group, often with care or by sorting)
- 扣kòulook-alike(verb) to deduct (money), to withhold
Examples
- 搀。Tā chān zhe nǎi nai màn màn zǒu guò mǎ lù.He took his grandmother by the arm and slowly helped her cross the street.
- 搀，。Zhè zhǒng guǒ zhī lǐ chān le tài duō shuǐ, wèi dào hěn dàn.This juice has been diluted with too much water; the flavor is very weak.
- 搀。Shāng jiā wǎng niú nǎi lǐ chān dōng xī shì wéi fǎ de.It is illegal for businesses to adulterate milk with anything.
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