剡 (shàn) - Sharp, pointed & to cut

剡Tone 4

shàn ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

姗善

剡 · shàn

Sharp, pointed;

to cut;

to sharpen;

also refers to the Shanshui River in Zhejiang province.

Sharp, pointedto cutto sharpen

Usage highlights

Sharp bladeSharp arrowShanshui RiverShan CountySharp pointSharp weapon

Synonyms

  • 利— sharp
  • 锐— sharp-pointed
  • 锋— blade edge

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The blade is very sharp (剡利).
  • He sharpened the arrowhead (剡矢).
  • Shanshui River flows through Zhejiang (剡溪).
  • Ancient texts mention sharpening tools (剡木为矢).

Collocations

  • Sharp blade(剡利)
  • Sharp arrow(剡矢)
  • Shanshui River(剡溪)
  • Shan County(剡县)
  • Sharp point(剡锋)
  • Sharp weapon(剡兵器)

Idioms

  • Sharp as a blade(锋剡犀利)
  • Pointed criticism(剡章弹劾)
  • Cutting through obstacles(剡棘斩荆)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Appears in classical texts like 'Book of Songs' describing sharp weapons.
  • Historically used as a place name for Shanshui River and Shan County in Zhejiang.
  • Associated with precision and cutting in literary contexts.

FAQ