闌 (lán) - railing & to exhaust

闌Tone 2

lán ｜ 17 strokes ｜ radical:

俊梁

闌 · lán

railing;

to exhaust;

late;

near the end;

to wane;

in decline

railingto exhaustlate

Usage highlights

midnightwaningrailingat the end of springexhaustedleaning on the railing

Synonyms

  • 欄— railing, fence
  • 盡— to exhaust, to end
  • 晚— late

Antonyms

  • 始— beginning
  • 盛— flourishing, prosperous
  • 早— early

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The night was deep (夜闌人靜).
  • The flowers are withering (花事闌珊).
  • The performance is about to end (歌吹已闌).
  • He leaned against the railing (憑闌遠眺).

Collocations

  • midnight(夜闌)
  • waning(闌珊)
  • railing(闌干)
  • at the end of spring(春意闌珊)
  • exhausted(興盡意闌)
  • leaning on the railing(倚闌)

Idioms

  • Deep in the night when all is quiet(夜闌人靜)
  • The excitement is over, the guests have departed(興盡闌散)
  • Spring is waning(春意闌珊)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally referred to a door railing or barrier, later extended to mean 'to block' or 'to hinder'.
  • In classical poetry, often used to describe the late hours of night or the waning of seasons/moods.
  • Frequently appears in Song dynasty poetry to convey a sense of melancholy or decline.

FAQ