歎 (tàn) - To sigh & to lament
歎 · tàn
To sigh;
to lament;
to express admiration or praise through exhalation.
To sighto lamentto express admiration or praise through exhalation.
Usage highlights
To sighTo lamentTo admire and praiseTo sigh with regretTo lament growing oldTo sigh over difficulties
Usage & contexts
Examples
- He sighed with regret (歎息).
- They lamented the passing of time (歎老).
- The audience sighed in admiration at the performance (讚歎).
- She sighed over the difficulty of the task (歎難).
Collocations
- To sigh(歎息)
- To lament(悲歎)
- To admire and praise(讚歎)
- To sigh with regret(慨歎)
- To lament growing old(歎老)
- To sigh over difficulties(歎難)
Idioms
- Sighing with admiration(歎為觀止)
- Lamenting one's poverty while admiring others' wealth(歎貧慕富)
- Sighing at the shortness of life(歎人生苦短)
Cultural background
FAQ- The character combines 欠 (to owe, to lack) with 難/堇 (difficulty), suggesting sighing over what is lacking or difficult.
- Used in classical Chinese poetry and literature to express deep emotion, regret, or admiration.
- The simplified form 叹 replaces the phonetic component with 又, while traditional 歎 preserves the original structure.