尘 (chén) - Dust & dirt

尘Tone 2

chén ｜ 6 strokes ｜ radical: 小

嫦晨

尘 · chén

Dust;

dirt;

fine particles;

worldly matters;

traces;

symbolizing the mundane world.

Dustdirtfine particles

Usage highlights

DustDust and dirtWorldly affairsRed dustTrace of dustDust storm

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • 净— clean, pure
  • 洁— clean, pure

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The desk is covered with dust (灰尘).
  • He is indifferent to worldly affairs (尘事).
  • This is an old dusty book (尘封的书).
  • The car left a trail of dust (尘土).

Collocations

  • Dust(灰尘)
  • Dust and dirt(尘土)
  • Worldly affairs(尘事)
  • Dust-covered(尘封)
  • Red dust(红尘)
  • Trace of dust(尘迹)

Idioms

  • To look down upon the world(看破红尘)
  • To wipe away the dust(一尘不染)
  • To rise from the dust(步人后尘)
  • The mundane world(凡尘俗世)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Buddhism and Daoism, 'dust' often symbolizes the mundane, illusory world of desires and attachments.
  • The character is composed of 'small' (小) over 'earth' (土), visually representing 'small particles of earth'.
  • Used poetically to express transience and the ephemeral nature of worldly existence.

FAQ