零散

língsǎn

adjective #35,134

Meanings

1 scattered
2 fragmented
3 piecemeal
4 sporadic

Characters

zero; fragmentary

scattered; loose

Examples

HSK 4

我只有零散的时间能用来学习。

Wǒ zhǐyǒu língsǎn de shíjiān néng yònglái xuéxí.

I only have fragmented bits of time available for studying.

HSK 6

桌上摆着零散的文件。

Zhuōshàng bǎi zhe língsǎn de wénjiàn.

Scattered documents lay on the desk.

Tips

usage

零散 emphasizes that things are dispersed and not consolidated - scattered notes, fragmented free time, piecemeal information. Compare with 分散 (fēnsàn, dispersed/decentralized, often deliberate) and 散乱 (sǎnluàn, in disarray).

Stroke Order

零 líng

散 sàn