昝 (zǎn) - Zan — a Chinese surname & also used in ancient texts to mean 'why'

昝Tone 3

zǎn ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical: 日

悦丈

昝 · zǎn

Zan — a Chinese surname;

also used in ancient texts to mean 'why' or 'how'.

Zan — a Chinese surnamealso used in ancient texts to mean 'why'

Usage highlights

Surname ZanMr. ZanMs. ZanThe Zan familyWhy/howAncient usage

Synonyms

  • 怎— how/why (interrogative)
  • 何— what/why (interrogative)
  • 奚— why/how (classical interrogative)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He has the surname Zan (昝先生).
  • Why is it like this?(昝其然乎?)
  • The Zan family has a long history (昝氏家族).
  • This character appears in ancient texts (古籍中的昝字).

Collocations

  • Surname Zan(昝姓)
  • Mr. Zan(昝先生)
  • Ms. Zan(昝女士)
  • The Zan family(昝家)
  • Why/how(昝其)
  • Ancient usage(古昝)

Idioms

  • Why should it be so?(昝其然乎)
  • How can this be?(昝可乎)
  • What is the reason?(昝其故)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • 昝 is primarily used as a surname in modern Chinese, though relatively uncommon.
  • In classical Chinese, 昝 was used as an interrogative pronoun meaning 'why' or 'how', similar to 怎 or 何.
  • The character's usage as a surname dates back to ancient times and appears in historical records.

FAQ