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撚

Mandarin · pinyin niǎn

Meanings

  1. to play tricks on or toy with
  2. delicate
  3. exquisite (Cantonese)
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撚
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Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Entries containing 撚 ↗Words written with 撚 ↗

Mandarin tones

3 · nian3

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Connected dictionary

11same-tone records
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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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Compare dictionary sources Rime · Wiktionary

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

lan2 · nan2 · nim2 · nin2 · nin5

Cantonese word readings for 撚. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

character · Etymology 1

  1. to pinch; to pick up (with one's fingers)
  2. to take; to hold
  3. to rub (with one's fingers)
  4. to fiddle; to fidget
  5. to play tricks; to toy with; to tease
  6. to trample; to tread
  7. (alt-of, alternative) alternative form of 攆 /撵 (niǎn, “to expel; to drive out”)
  8. (music) to press on or lightly pinch in the strings of the pipa to produce a wave-like effect
  9. (Southern Min) to swindle; to defraud

character · Etymology 2

  1. (Cantonese, vulgar) penis (Classifier: 條／条 c; 轆／辘 c)
  2. (Cantonese, vulgar) fucking; freaking; the hell; the fuck
  3. (derogatory) a person associated with a particular identity or trait; -er (usually for males)
  4. (Cantonese, vulgar) Negates the meaning of the sentence: fuck all, my ass, like fuck, no fucking way

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack