铲

• Pinyin: chǎn
• Hanzi breakdown: 铲 = 钅(金, metal radical) + 产 (phonetic component)

Meaning

To shovel; to dig up; to scrape off. To use a flat-bladed implement to move, lift, or remove material.

Used as both a verb and, with the suffix 子, as a noun (铲子). As a verb, describes moving loose materials (soil, snow, food) with a flat implement. In cooking, 铲 refers to stirring or flipping food in a wok with a spatula. The compound 铲除 extends the meaning metaphorically to mean 'to eradicate' or 'to root out.'

Examples

1. 暴雪过后，清洁工人连夜铲雪，确保主干道在早高峰前恢复通行。 After the blizzard, sanitation workers shovelled snow through the night to ensure the main roads were clear before the morning rush hour.
2. 师傅熟练地用锅铲翻炒，锅里的食材在高温下发出阵阵诱人的香气。 The chef skilfully stir-fried with a wok spatula, and the ingredients in the pan released wave after wave of enticing aromas under the high heat.
3. 工人们正在铲除旧路面的沥青，为铺设新道路做准备。 Workers are scraping away the old asphalt road surface in preparation for laying the new road.

Usage Guide

Context: construction, cooking, outdoor work, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 积雪太厚了，得用铲子铲，光靠扫帚根本清不干净。(The snow is too thick — you'll need to shovel it; a broom simply won't clear it properly.)
• 这块地基上还有些旧混凝土，施工前需要全部铲干净。(There is still some old concrete on this foundation that needs to be completely shovelled away before construction begins.)

Don't Say

• 用铲挖了一个深洞。(铲 is for scooping or scraping flat surfaces; for digging a deep hole use 挖: 用铁锹挖了一个深坑)

Origin & History

铲 = 钅(金, metal radical) + 产 (phonetic). A metal tool used to scrape or shovel.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal