跚

shān

verb

Meanings

受伤的士兵蹒跚着一步步向前。

Shòushāng de shìbīng pánshān zhe yíbùbù xiàngqián.

The wounded soldier limped forward, step by step.

喝完酒，他步履蹒跚地走回家。

Hē wán jiǔ, tā bùlǚ pánshān de zǒu huí jiā.

After drinking, he walked home with an unsteady, limping gait.

usage

跚 is a bound character: it appears only in 蹒跚 (to walk unsteadily). It has no standalone meaning of its own.

radical

足 zú

foot

The foot radical, marking 跚 as a manner of walking. It is the reason this character describes a faltering, unsteady step.

phonetic

册 cè

book; volume of bound slips

Supplies the sound, cè shifting to shān. Its 'bound bamboo slips' meaning plays no part; it works only as the phonetic half.

跚 shān