餐

Etymology & Components

The Chinese character 餐 (cān) for "meal" is composed of two parts: 食 (shí) and 单 (dān). 食, on the left side, means "to eat" or "food". 单, on the right side, means "single" or "alone". Together, they form the character 餐, which originally meant "a single meal" or "a meal eaten alone". Over time, the meaning of 餐 expanded to include any meal, regardless of whether it was eaten alone or with others.The character 餐 first appeared in the oracle bone script, the earliest known form of Chinese writing. In the oracle bone script, 餐 was written as a combination of the characters 食 and 亶 (dǎn), which also means "single" or "alone". The character 亶 was later simplified to 单, and the character 餐 took on its current form.The character 餐 is used in a variety of words and phrases related to eating and meals. For example, it is used in the word 餐厅 (cāntīng), which means "restaurant", and the word 早餐 (zǎocān), which means "breakfast". It is also used in the phrase 吃饭 (chīfàn), which means "to eat a meal".The character 餐 is a common character in Chinese, and it is important for HSK learners to understand its meaning and usage. By understanding the etymology of 餐, learners can gain a deeper understanding of the character and its role in the Chinese language.