揅 (yán) - To grind & to polish
揅 · yán
To grind;
to polish;
to study meticulously;
to research thoroughly.
To grindto polishto study meticulously
Usage highlights
Meticulous researchStudy thoroughlyPolish jadeInvestigate carefullyGrind inkRefine one's skills
Usage & contexts
Examples
- He is meticulously researching ancient texts (揅究古籍).
- She polished the jade to perfection (揅玉成器).
- The scholar devoted his life to studying the classics (揅习经典).
- This requires careful investigation and analysis (需要仔细揅察).
Collocations
- Meticulous research(揅究)
- Study thoroughly(揅习)
- Polish jade(揅玉)
- Investigate carefully(揅察)
- Grind ink(揅墨)
- Refine one's skills(揅炼)
Idioms
- Grind ink and dip the brush(揅墨濡毫)
- Polish jade and refine gold(揅玉炼金)
- Study deeply and think carefully(深揅细思)
Cultural background
FAQ- Originally referred to the physical act of grinding or polishing, particularly in the context of preparing ink for calligraphy.
- Extended metaphorically to describe diligent study and careful research, reflecting the scholarly value of thoroughness.
- Less common in modern usage compared to its variant 研, but retains a classical, literary flavor.