滩 (tān) - Beach, sandbank, shoal & rapids in a river

滩Tone 1

tān ｜ 13 strokes ｜ radical:

树檀

滩 · tān

Beach, sandbank, shoal;

rapids in a river;

a flat, sandy area along a body of water.

Beach, sandbank, shoalrapids in a rivera flat, sandy area along a body of

Usage highlights

BeachRiver rapidsSandbarMudflatSeashoreShoal

Synonyms

  • 滨— shore, bank
  • 岸— bank, shore
  • 渚— small sandbank in river

Antonyms

  • 礁— reef, rock (protruding vs. flat)
  • 渊— deep pool (shallow vs. deep)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • We walked along the beach (海滩).
  • The river has dangerous rapids (险滩).
  • The boat ran aground on a sandbar (沙洲/浅滩).
  • This is a famous beach resort (海滩度假村).

Collocations

  • Beach(海滩)
  • River rapids(河滩)
  • Sandbar(沙滩)
  • Mudflat(泥滩)
  • Seashore(海岸滩)
  • Shoal(浅滩)

Idioms

  • A desperate situation(险滩恶水)
  • Difficult journey(暗礁险滩)
  • Go with the flow(随波逐流，避开险滩)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese geography, '滩' often refers to challenging river rapids that made navigation difficult, symbolizing obstacles in life.
  • Coastal '滩' represents recreational spaces in modern context, but historically indicated treacherous shallow waters.
  • Appears in many place names along major rivers like the Yangtze, marking historically difficult navigation points.

FAQ