撢 (dǎn) - To dust off & to brush away

撢Tone 3

dǎn ｜ 15 strokes ｜ radical:

橙丁

撢 · dǎn

To dust off;

to brush away;

to explore;

to investigate;

to probe;

to reach;

to extend to.

To dust offto brush awayto explore

Usage highlights

Dust offInvestigate the truthProbe intoReach a peakDusting brushExplore the source

Synonyms

  • 探— to explore, to investigate
  • 拂— to brush away, to whisk
  • 扫— to sweep, to brush

Antonyms

  • 积— to accumulate, to pile up
  • 堆— to heap, to pile

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He dusted the bookshelf (撢书架).
  • She investigated the truth (撢究真相).
  • The explorer probed into the cave (撢入洞穴).
  • The price reached a new high (价格撢新高).

Collocations

  • Dust off(撢去)
  • Investigate the truth(撢究真相)
  • Probe into(撢入)
  • Reach a peak(撢峰)
  • Dusting brush(撢子)
  • Explore the source(撢源)

Idioms

  • Explore the obscure and search for the subtle(撢幽索隐)
  • Investigate the past to understand the present(撢古知今)
  • Reach the peak of perfection(撢峰造极)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally meant 'to reach, to extend to' in classical Chinese, later extended to mean 'to explore, to investigate'.
  • The 'dusting' meaning developed from the action of reaching or extending a tool to remove dust.
  • Used in both practical contexts (cleaning) and intellectual contexts (research, exploration).

FAQ