漫

• Pinyin: màn
• Hanzi breakdown: 漫 = 氵 (water radical) + 曼 (long, extend, spread)

Meaning

To overflow; to flood; to spread boundlessly. Also describes something vast or unhurried. Used in literary and poetic contexts.

As a verb, 漫 means to overflow (水漫过河堤 — water overflows the bank). As a modifier, it conveys boundlessness or a leisurely, unhurried quality (漫天大雪 — snowflakes filling the sky; 漫无目的 — drifting without purpose). Frequently found in literary prose and poetry.

Examples

1. 连日暴雨之后，河水漫过了两岸的堤坝，农田一片汪洋。 After days of heavy rain, the river overflowed its banks, and the farmland became a vast expanse of water.
2. 黄昏时分，晚霞漫天，将整个村落染成一片暖橙色。 At dusk, the sunset clouds filled the sky, bathing the entire village in a warm orange glow.
3. 他漫无目的地在街头游荡，内心的困惑和迷茫无从排解。 He wandered the streets aimlessly, with no way to relieve the confusion and uncertainty in his heart.

Usage Guide

Context: literary, natural description, poetic

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 大雪漫天飞舞，整座城市银装素裹。(Snow filled the sky and swirled about; the entire city was cloaked in white.)
• 水位持续上涨，湖水漫出了湖岸，淹没了岸边的草地。(The water level kept rising; the lake overflowed its banks and flooded the surrounding grass.)

Don't Say

• 单独用'漫'替代'慢'表示速度缓慢 — 二者不可互换，'慢'才表示速度慢，'漫'表示无边无际 (Don't use 漫 as a substitute for 慢 to mean slow — they are not interchangeable; 慢 means slow speed, 漫 means boundless or overflowing)

Origin & History

Radical 氵 (water) indicates connection to water flowing or overflowing. Extended to mean unconstrained or boundless spreading.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal