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閃 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
閃shǎnflash, lightning; to dodge, to evadex, 10 strokes, radical 門
shǎn(shan3)shan T3
  1. 1flash, lightning; to dodge, to evade
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March 24, 2026

閃shǎn(shan3)

The character 閃 (shǎn) primarily means 'to flash' or 'to shine briefly,' often associated with lightning or quick movements. It can also mean 'to dodge' or 'to evade,' indicating a swift action to avoid something. This dual meaning allows for usage in both physical and metaphorical contexts, such as avoiding a difficult question.

Strokes10Radical門
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, lightning is often associated with powerful natural forces and is sometimes seen as a symbol of sudden changes or enlightenment. The word may appear in idioms or expressions that highlight quick decisions or reactions.

Memory tip

Imagine a lightning bolt (閃) flashing across the sky, bright and quick. The character has the radical 門 (door) suggesting a passage, and the inner part resembles something darting away, just like how you would quickly dodge a lightning strike. Picture yourself 'dodging' a bolt of lightning to remember both its meaning and pronunciation (shǎn).

Meanings of 閃

shǎn(shan3)
1flash, lightning; to dodge, to evade
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 閃

閃Simplified
10Strokes
門Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 閃

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Podcast: 閃

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AI study notes for 閃

Quick Contrast

閃 (shǎn) vs 亮 (liàng) — use 閃 when emphasizing a brief or sudden flash, while 亮 refers to a steady brightness.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 閃 (shǎn) with similar sounding words like 珊 (shān), which means coral. It is generally used in both informal and formal contexts, but when discussing evasion in a serious context, ensure clarity to avoid misunderstandings. Common collocations include 閃光 (shǎnguāng, 'flash of light') and 閃避 (shǎnbì, 'to evade').

HSK Study Tips

While 閃 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, it connects well with other verbs that describe movement or action, such as 跑 (pǎo, 'to run') or 走 (zǒu, 'to walk'). Focus on how to use it in phrases that describe quick actions or movements to grasp its nuances effectively.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 閃 (shǎn) with related terms like 閃爍 (shǎnruò, 'to twinkle') and may incorrectly use it to mean 'to shine' in a static sense. A correct usage would be: '他閃過問題' (tā shǎn guò wèntí, 'He dodged the question').

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 閃

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Etymology of 閃

Formation typeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Explanation

Simplified form of 閃. Depicts a person (人) standing in the middle of a doorway (門).

Memory hint

A man 人 just glimpsed through a door 門

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

What kind of character is 閃?

Decomposition of 閃

IDS Structure⿵門人
閃Full character
=
門men2
enclosing
人ren2
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 閃?

How to say flash, lightning; to dodge, to evade in Chinese

“flash, lightning; to dodge, to evade” in Chinese is閃shǎn

The character 閃 (shǎn) primarily means 'to flash' or 'to shine briefly,' often associated with lightning or quick movements. It can also mean 'to dodge' or 'to evade,' indicating a swift action to avoid something. This dual meaning allows for usage in both physical and metaphorical contexts, such as avoiding a difficult question.

When to use 閃

Be careful not to confuse 閃 (shǎn) with similar sounding words like 珊 (shān), which means coral. It is generally used in both informal and formal contexts, but when discussing evasion in a serious context, ensure clarity to avoid misunderstandings. Common collocations include 閃光 (shǎnguāng, 'flash of light') and 閃避 (shǎnbì, 'to evade').

閃 or something close to it

閃 (shǎn) vs 亮 (liàng) — use 閃 when emphasizing a brief or sudden flash, while 亮 refers to a steady brightness.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 閃 (shǎn) with related terms like 閃爍 (shǎnruò, 'to twinkle') and may incorrectly use it to mean 'to shine' in a static sense. A correct usage would be: '他閃過問題' (tā shǎn guò wèntí, 'He dodged the question').

Write 閃

閃

Practice writing 閃 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Word Family of 閃

Words containing this character20
闪shǎnto dodge閃
闪电shǎndiànlightning閃電
闪亮brilliant閃亮
闪闪flickering閃閃
闪耀to glint閃耀
闪烁shǎnshuòflickering閃爍
闪开to get out of the way閃開
闪光flash閃光
闪光灯flash bulb (photography)閃光燈
闪过to flash through (one's mind)閃過
闪现to flash閃現
闪动to flicker or flash閃動
躲闪to evade躲閃
闪光点lit. flash point閃光點
闪失mishap閃失
闪避to dodge閃避
闪身to dodge閃身
亮闪闪bright亮閃閃
闪躲to dodge閃躲
闪电战blitzkrieg閃電戰
Exercise 1 of 4

Characters with 閃

What does 闪 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 閃

The tone for 閃 is the third tone (shǎn), which means it has a falling-rising pitch.

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