piān
翩
flutter; fly lightly; graceful
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
2 senses · 5 examplesadjective
flying lightly and swiftly; fluttering
literaryPrimarily used in classical or highly literary Chinese. Often modifies verbs or is part of set phrases describing graceful movement.
Hú蝴
dié蝶
zài在
huā花
cóng丛
zhōng中
piān翩
piān翩
qǐ起
wǔ舞
。
Butterflies are dancing gracefully among the flowers.
Tā他
yī衣
mèi袂
piāo飘
piāo飘
，
piān翩
rán然
ér而
zhì至
。
With his sleeves fluttering, he arrived gracefully.
adjective
elegant; graceful; lithe
literaryUsed to describe dancers, birds, or a person's movements in a poetic manner. Often reduplicated as "翩翩".
Nà那
wèi位
wǔ舞
zhě者
de的
shēn身
zī姿
piān翩
piān翩
ruò若
xiān仙
。
That dancer's posture is as graceful as a celestial being.
Cáo曹
Zhí植
zài在
《
Luò洛
Shén神
Fù赋
》
zhōng中
xíng形
róng容
luò洛
shén神
“
piān翩
ruò若
jīng惊
hóng鸿
”
。
Cao Zhi described the Goddess of the Luo River as "fluttering like a startled swan" in his 'Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River'.
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fēng风
dù度
piān翩
piān翩
elegant and refined in manner