zhǎn
adjective #55,558

Meanings

  1. 1 towering
  2. 2 outstanding
  3. 3 brand (new)

Examples

Tā mǎi le yí liàng zhǎnxīn de qìchē.
He bought a brand-new car.
Zhè wèi niánqīng qiúyuán kāishǐ zhǎnlùtóujiǎo.
This young player is starting to make his mark.

Tips

usage
By far the most common use is 崭新 (brand-new) and 崭露头角 (to begin to show outstanding talent). The original "towering, steep" sense survives mainly in literary writing.

Components

radical
shān
mountain
The mountain radical sits on top and gives the original meaning: a peak that is high and steep, hence "towering."
phonetic
zhǎn
to chop; to behead
Below, supplies the sound exactly. The image of a cut, sheer cliff face also reinforces the steepness sense.

Stroke Order

zhǎn