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姗 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
姗shānto slander, to ridicule; to go slowly; gracefulnr, 8 strokes, radical 女, rank #13121, Very Hard
姗shānto deprecateunknown, 8 strokes, radical 女, rank #13121, Very Hard
姗shānlithe (of a woman's walk)unknown, 8 strokes, radical 女, rank #13121, Very Hard
姗shānleisurelyunknown, 8 strokes, radical 女, rank #13121, Very Hard
姗shānslowunknown, 8 strokes, radical 女, rank #13121, Very Hard
shān(shan1)shan T1
  1. 1to slander, to ridicule; to go slowly; graceful
  2. 2to deprecate
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

姗(姍)shān(shan1)

The character 姗 (shān) primarily conveys the idea of moving slowly and gracefully, often used to describe a woman's elegant walk. It can also imply slander or ridicule in certain contexts. The nuance lies in its association with gracefulness and leisure rather than haste.

Strokes8Radical女Frequency#13121DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, gracefulness is highly valued, especially in the context of traditional dance and etiquette. The character 姗 reflects this cultural appreciation for beauty and elegance in movement.

Memory Tip

Imagine a graceful woman walking slowly through a garden, her every step deliberate and lithe. The character 姗 looks like a person in motion, with the '女' (woman) radical suggesting femininity and grace, while the other components hint at a gentle, unhurried pace.

Meanings of 姗

shān(shan1)
1to slander, to ridicule; to go slowly; graceful
2to deprecate
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 姗 means.

About 姗

姗Simplified
姍Traditional
8Strokes
女Radical
人名míngcíproper noun (pr.n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 姗

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Podcast: 姗

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AI Study Notes for 姗

Quick Contrast

姗 (shān) vs 缓 (huǎn): Choose 姗 for a graceful and leisurely movement, while 缓 emphasizes slowness without the graceful connotation.

Usage Notes

This character is often used in literary or poetic contexts to evoke beauty and elegance. Avoid using it in casual or harsh conversations, as the meanings of ridicule or slander can lead to misunderstandings. Common phrases include '姗姗来迟' (to arrive slowly).

HSK Study Tips

While 姗 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it connects to themes of movement and grace often found in HSK Level 3 materials. Students should focus on understanding its different meanings and practicing in descriptive contexts.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 姗 with similar characters and use it inappropriately. For example, saying '她姗姗说我' (She slandered me) is incorrect; it should be '她说我' (She said about me) to avoid confusion with its negative meaning.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 姗

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Etymology of 姗

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 女 represents the meaning and 册 represents the sound. Simplified form of 姍.

Memory Hint

woman

Semantic (meaning)女
+
Phonetic (sound)册
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

姗 = 女 + 册. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 姗

IDS Structure⿰女册
姗Full Character
=
女nü3
left
册ce4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 姗?

How to say to slander, to ridicule; to go slowly; graceful in Chinese

“to slander, to ridicule; to go slowly; graceful” in Chinese is姗shān

The character 姗 (shān) primarily conveys the idea of moving slowly and gracefully, often used to describe a woman's elegant walk. It can also imply slander or ridicule in certain contexts. The nuance lies in its association with gracefulness and leisure rather than haste.

When to use 姗

This character is often used in literary or poetic contexts to evoke beauty and elegance. Avoid using it in casual or harsh conversations, as the meanings of ridicule or slander can lead to misunderstandings. Common phrases include '姗姗来迟' (to arrive slowly).

姗 or something close to it

姗 (shān) vs 缓 (huǎn): Choose 姗 for a graceful and leisurely movement, while 缓 emphasizes slowness without the graceful connotation.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 姗 with similar characters and use it inappropriately. For example, saying '她姗姗说我' (She slandered me) is incorrect; it should be '她说我' (She said about me) to avoid confusion with its negative meaning.

Write 姗

姗

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

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Grammar Patterns of 姗

姗 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 5 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 3

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

苏____和那个女孩还在用德语聊个没完。

Susan and the girl were still nattering away in German.

Example Sentences for 姗 (3)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
苏姗和那个女孩还在用德语聊个没完。

sū shān hé nà gè nǚ hái huán zài yòng dé yǔ liáo gè méi wán。

Susan and the girl were still nattering away in German.
2
生活就是这样,你一直想要得到的东西,总在你不再指望的那一刻姗姗来迟。

shēng huó jiù shì zhè yàng, , nǐ yī zhí xiǎng yào dé dào de dōng, xī , zǒng zài nǐ bù zài zhǐ wàng de nà yī kè shān shān。

It's the rule of life that everything you have always wanted comes the very second you stop looking for it.
3
兄弟几个总是要到正午前后才姗姗来到工作室。

xiōng dì jī gè zǒng shì yào dào zhèng wǔ qián hòu cái shān shān lái dào gōng zuò shì。

The brothers usually roll into their studio around midday.

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Word Family of 姗

Words Containing This Character4
姗shānslow姍
姗姗unhurried姍姍
姗姗来迟to be late姍姍來遲
罗姗Roxanne or Roxane or Rosanna (name)羅姍
Exercise 1 of 3

Words with 姗

What does 姗姗 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 姗

In everyday conversation, 姗 is often used to describe a woman walking gracefully and leisurely.

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