蹒跚

蹣跚

pánshān

verb #24,272

Meanings

1 to stagger
2 to totter
3 to toddle

Characters

to limp / to stagger (used together with 跚)

unsteady walking / staggering

Examples

老人蹒跚地走向公园的长椅。

Lǎorén pánshān de zǒu xiàng gōngyuán de cháng yǐ.

The elderly man tottered toward the park bench.

喝醉的他蹒跚着穿过街道。

Hēzuì de tā pánshān zhe chuānguò jiēdào.

Drunk, he staggered across the street.

小婴儿蹒跚学步，样子十分可爱。

Xiǎo yīng'ér pánshān xué bù, yàngzi shífēn kě'ài.

The little baby toddled along, learning to walk — an absolutely adorable sight.

Tips

memory

Both characters 蹒 and 跚 contain the 足 (foot) radical, signaling they relate to walking. The doubled foot imagery conveys the unsteady, laborious quality of a staggering gait.

Stroke Order

蹒 pán

跚 shān