翩翩

piānpiān
adjective #32,550

Meanings

  1. 1 lightly fluttering (in flight)
  2. 2 graceful; elegant (of movement or manner)
  3. 3 dapper
  4. 4 to dance lightly

Examples

Húdié zài huācóng zhōng piānpiān qǐ wǔ.
The butterflies dance gracefully among the flowers.
Tā shì yí wèi fēngdù piānpiān de shēnshì.
He is a gentleman of elegant bearing.

Tips

usage
Two key collocations: 翩翩起舞 ("dance gracefully") for movement, and 风度翩翩 ("of elegant bearing") for a man's polished, charming manner. The reduplication mimics the up-and-down rhythm of fluttering wings — both characters carry the (feather) component.
memory
Both characters share the (feathers) component on the right — picture two pairs of wings beating: 翩翩 = wings + wings = unmistakably airy, light, graceful.

Stroke Order

piān