干 gān / gàn — dry; to concern; shield; to work; to do; to manage
衣服已经晒干了。Yī fu yǐ jīng shài gān le.The clothes have already dried.
Common words: 干净 (gān jìng)、干什么 (gàn shén me)、干杯 (gān bēi)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "shield"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "shield", including 干 (gān / gàn), 盾 (dùn). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "shield" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 干 (gān / gàn), 盾 (dùn) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span gān, gàn, dùn — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 干 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 干 gān / gàndry; to concern; shield; to work; to do; to manageUseful words: 干净, 干什么
- 盾 dùnshieldUseful words: 矛盾, 后盾
Common words for these 2 "shield" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 干 (gān / gàn) — so "shield" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
干净gān jìngclean; neat干什么gàn shén mewhat are you doing?; what's he up to?干杯gān bēito drink a toast; Cheers! (proposing a toast); Here's to you!; Bottoms up!矛盾máo dùncontradiction; conflicting views; contradictory后盾hòu dùnsupport; backing自相矛盾zì xiāng máo dùnto contradict oneself; self-contradictory; inconsistent
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "shield".
盾 dùn — shield
古代的士兵用盾牌来保护自己。Gǔ dài de shì bīng yòng dùn pái lái bǎo hù zì jǐ.Ancient soldiers used shields to protect themselves.
Common words: 矛盾 (máo dùn)、后盾 (hòu dùn)、自相矛盾 (zì xiāng máo dùn)
All 2 characters
Open 干、盾 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.