昙 (tán) - cloudy, overcast & fleeting, transient

昙Tone 2

tán ｜ 8 strokes ｜ radical: 日

树檀

昙 · tán

cloudy, overcast;

fleeting, transient;

used in Buddhist terms for ephemeral phenomena.

cloudy, overcastfleeting, transientused in Buddhist terms for ephemeral phenomena.

Usage highlights

EpiphyllumFleeting as a flashOvercast skyCloudy and dimBuddhist term for ephemeral phenomena

Synonyms

  • 阴— cloudy, overcast
  • 暂— temporary, transient
  • 瞬— momentary, fleeting

Antonyms

  • 晴— clear, sunny
  • 久— long-lasting, permanent
  • 恒— constant, eternal

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The sky is overcast (昙天).
  • Life is fleeting like a flash in the pan (昙花一现).
  • Epiphyllum flowers bloom briefly at night (昙花).

Collocations

  • Epiphyllum(昙花)
  • Fleeting as a flash(昙花一现)
  • Overcast sky(昙天)
  • Cloudy and dim(昙昙)
  • Buddhist term for ephemeral phenomena(昙摩)

Idioms

  • A flash in the pan(昙花一现)
  • Cloudy and obscure(云昙蔽日)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Derived from Buddhist scriptures, originally used to translate Sanskrit terms related to impermanence.
  • The character combines 'sun' (日) and 'clouds' (云), visually representing obscured sunlight.
  • Strongly associated with the epiphyllum flower which blooms briefly at night, symbolizing transient beauty.

FAQ