詹 (Zhān): Zhan (surname)

Meanings

1 Zhan (surname)

Characters

詹

zhān

surname Zhan; verbose (literary)

Examples

HSK 2

你认识姓詹的人吗？

Nǐ rènshi xìng Zhān de rén ma?

Do you know anyone with the surname Zhan?

HSK 5

詹先生是我的邻居。

Zhān xiānsheng shì wǒ de línjū.

Mr. Zhan is my neighbor.

Tips

culture

詹 is a relatively uncommon Chinese surname. Famous bearers include 詹天佑, the father of Chinese railways.

Components

radical

言 yán

speech; word

Speech radical at the bottom, the indexing radical. It files 詹 in the talking section with 说 say, 语 language, 论 discuss. The original sense was 'verbose, talkative speech from a high place' - and although the surname use has eclipsed that, the radical still hints at the old meaning.

semantic

厃 wēi

person on a cliff edge

Top portion is a fused 4-stroke graph - the クノ-shape over 厂 cliff - historically picturing someone leaning over a precipice to look down. Standalone 厃 has 4 strokes, matching the assigned range. The 'looking down from on high' image gave 詹 its classical sense of verbose pronouncement from above.

semantic

八 bā

eight; to divide

Two diverging strokes under the cliff-figure, separating the upper graphic from the speech radical below. Treat it as a graphic divider rather than 'eight' - its function here is positional, marking the split between the looking figure and the words being uttered.