阑 (lán) - railing & late

阑Tone 2

lán ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

俊梁

阑 · lán

railing;

late;

exhausted;

nearly ended;

used in words describing the end of something or a barrier.

railinglateexhausted

Usage highlights

night is laterailinglights dimend of springexhaustedthreshold

Synonyms

  • 栏— railing, fence
  • 晚— late, evening
  • 尽— exhausted, ended

Antonyms

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

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The night is late (夜阑).
  • The performance is about to end (演出已阑).
  • He leaned on the railing (倚阑).
  • The lights are about to go out (灯火阑珊).

Collocations

  • night is late(夜阑)
  • railing(阑干)
  • lights dim(灯火阑珊)
  • end of spring(春意阑珊)
  • exhausted(兴意阑珊)
  • threshold(阑阈)

Idioms

  • The night is deep and people are quiet(夜阑人静)
  • The lights are dim and sparse(灯火阑珊)
  • Interest is exhausted(兴尽意阑)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally referred to a door frame or railing, later extended to mean 'late' or 'nearing the end'.
  • Often used in classical poetry to depict quiet, late-night scenes or the fading of something.
  • The phrase '灯火阑珊' (lantern lights dim and sparse) is famously used in Xin Qiji's poem to describe searching for someone in the crowd.

FAQ