tān

beach, bank, shoal

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Components
氵 meaning component

  Meaning component

shuishuǐ

  

water

難 sound component

  Sound component

nánnàn

  

difficult

Evolution

灘 Bronze script Mid Warring States (~300 BC)

Bronze script

Mid Warring States (~300 BC)
灘 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
灘 Clerical script Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
灘 Regular script Modern

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

() 

tān

bank, a sandbar, shoal; rapids; beach; shoal; CL:[piàn]; classifier for liquids: pool, puddle

Most common words with 灘
Freq.
Word
Meaning

海滩

beach

沙滩

beach

beach

外滩

the Shanghai Bund or Waitan

滩涂

mudflat