攀 (pān) - To climb & to clamber

攀Tone 1

pān ｜ 19 strokes ｜ radical:

柠七

攀 · pān

To climb;

to clamber;

to pull;

to grasp;

to seek connections with powerful people;

to involve;

to implicate.

To climbto clamberto pull

Usage highlights

To climbTo climb a peakTo climb sociallyTo compare favorably withTo implicate othersTo form a relationship

Synonyms

  • 爬— to crawl, to climb (more general)
  • 登— to ascend, to mount

Antonyms

  • 降— to descend, to fall
  • 落— to fall, to drop

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • They climbed the mountain (攀山).
  • He is trying to curry favor with influential people (攀附权贵).
  • The child climbed onto the chair (攀上椅子).
  • The vines climbed up the wall (藤蔓攀墙).

Collocations

  • To climb(攀登)
  • To climb a peak(攀峰)
  • To climb socially(攀高枝)
  • To compare favorably with(攀比)
  • To implicate others(攀扯)
  • To form a relationship(攀亲)

Idioms

  • High climb, far gaze(高攀远眺)
  • To seek powerful connections(攀龙附凤)
  • To claim kinship(攀亲道故)
  • To climb the cassia tree in the moon (蟾宫折桂) - related to success

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The character depicts two hands (手) pulling on a forest (林), vividly illustrating the action of climbing.
  • In Chinese culture, '攀' carries social connotations, often referring to social climbing or seeking advantageous relationships.
  • The character is associated with ambition, effort, and sometimes negative social maneuvering.

FAQ