撚
Meanings · nan2
- to play tricks on or toy with
- delicate
- exquisite (Cantonese)
- to be good at
- dick, the penis
- fucking
Meanings · nin2
- to twirl
- twist with fingers
- to hold
- a wick
- a type of plucking method for the pipa, a traditional Chinese instrument
Meanings · nin5
- to twirl
- twist with fingers
- to hold
- a wick
- a type of plucking method for the pipa, a traditional Chinese instrument
About these definitions
Source definition segments, in their original order. Characters a definition cites are shown without their Mandarin pinyin; classifier lists that CC-Canto copied from CC-CEDICT are marked Mandarin. The community dictionary is not independently verified by zimai.
Reading & tones
Schematic citation-tone diagrams from the source numbers. These are not recordings or predictions of connected speech.
Written characters
Both source spellings are represented. Written membership is not an etymological or semantic claim.
Mandarin comparison · separate source entries
CC-CEDICT, the Mandarin–English dictionary, lists the same written form:
- 撚 niǎn CC-CEDICT · Mandarinto play tricks on or toy with; delicate; exquisite (Cantonese)
A separate source entry, shown for comparison. The same characters can carry different senses in Mandarin and in Cantonese; zimai does not align these senses.
CC-Canto includes this pinyin reference: nian3. It does not establish a Mandarin word with the same meaning.
Look up this spelling in the Mandarin dictionary ↗Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 13 senses · 5 Cantonese readings
Rime Cantonese 粵拼
lan2 · nan2 · nim2 · nin2 · nin5
Cantonese word readings for 撚. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.
CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack
Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section
Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.
character · Etymology 1
- to pinch; to pick up (with one's fingers)
- to take; to hold
- to rub (with one's fingers)
- to fiddle; to fidget
- to play tricks; to toy with; to tease
- to trample; to tread
- (alt-of, alternative) alternative form of 攆 /撵 (niǎn, “to expel; to drive out”)
- (music) to press on or lightly pinch in the strings of the pipa to produce a wave-like effect
- (Southern Min) to swindle; to defraud
character · Etymology 2
- (Cantonese, vulgar) penis (Classifier: 條／条 c; 轆／辘 c)
- (Cantonese, vulgar) fucking; freaking; the hell; the fuck
- (derogatory) a person associated with a particular identity or trait; -er (usually for males)
- (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