赡

贍
shàn
verb

Meanings

  1. 1 to support (one's parents)
  2. 2 to provide for

Examples

HSK 4
Tā yì gè rén shànyǎng quánjiā.
He alone supported the whole family.
HSK 7-9
Chéngnián zǐnǚ yǒu shànyǎng niánmài fùmǔ de yìwù.
Adult children have a duty to support their elderly parents.

Tips

usage
Used mainly in 赡养 (to support, provide for). It specifically means a younger person financially supporting elders or dependents - a legal duty in Chinese family law. Compare 抚养, which is raising children downward.

Components

radical
贝 bèi
cowrie; money
Left 贝 (cowrie shell, ancient money), the indexing radical. It marks 赡 as money-related - providing financial support - alongside 财 (wealth) and 贷 (to lend).
phonetic
詹 zhān
verbose; phonetic
Right 詹 supplies the sound (zhān drifting to shàn). The same phonetic anchors 瞻 (to gaze) and 檐 (eaves).

Stroke Order

赡 shàn