婪 lán to covet
to covet; avaricious
怎么记住“婪”: 林 a wood + 女 woman = to covet. Walking her dog past the neighbour's private wood each morning, the woman from the city has started to covet it.
部件结构
形声 · Meaning + sound
One part gives the meaning, the other gives the sound.
婪 = 林 a wood + 女 woman
- 林 a wood sound
- 木 tree
- 木 tree
- 女 woman meaning
Walking her dog past the neighbour's private wood each morning, the woman from the city has started to covet it.
How it came to be
In the small seal form, the woman below gives the meaning and the wood above the sound.
用法
- Bound; only in 贪婪 (tānlán), greedy/avaricious: 贪婪的目光 (tānlán de mùguāng) a greedy gaze.
- 贪婪 is stronger and more literary than plain 贪 (tān), stressing insatiable craving.