烂 (làn) - rotten, decayed, worn-out & overcooked

烂Tone 4

làn ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical:

俊梁

烂 · làn

rotten, decayed, worn-out;

overcooked;

bright, brilliant;

extremely, thoroughly

rotten, decayed, worn-outovercookedbright, brilliant

Usage highlights

rotten fruitovercooked noodlesbroken shoesbrilliant smileknow thoroughlyrotten to the core

Synonyms

  • 腐— rotten, decayed
  • 坏— bad, broken
  • 熟— cooked, familiar

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The apple is rotten (烂苹果).
  • The meat is overcooked (肉煮烂了).
  • He knows it thoroughly (烂熟于心).
  • The plan is brilliant (烂漫的计划).

Collocations

  • rotten fruit(烂水果)
  • overcooked noodles(烂面条)
  • broken shoes(烂鞋)
  • brilliant smile(烂漫的笑容)
  • know thoroughly(烂熟)
  • rotten to the core(烂透)

Idioms

  • Rotten wood cannot be carved(朽木不可雕)
  • Brilliant and unrestrained(天真烂漫)
  • Know something like the back of one's hand(滚瓜烂熟)
  • A rotten head leads a group(烂头卒)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese culture, '烂' carries both negative connotations of decay and positive connotations of thoroughness or brilliance.
  • The character appears in idioms describing both complete familiarity (滚瓜烂熟) and innocent beauty (天真烂漫).
  • In naming contexts, it's generally avoided due to its primary association with decay and deterioration.

FAQ