散 sǎn / sàn — leisurely; loosen; powdered medicine; to scatter; to come loose; adjourn
电影看完了，大家慢慢散去。Diàn yǐng kàn wán le, dà jiā màn màn sàn qù.After the movie ended, everyone slowly dispersed.
Common words: 散步 (sàn bù)、分散 (fēn sàn)、散文 (sǎn wén)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "to scatter"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "to scatter", including 散 (sǎn / sàn), 扬 (yáng), 撒 (sā / sǎ). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "to scatter" covers 3 different Chinese characters — 散 (sǎn / sàn), 扬 (yáng), 撒 (sā / sǎ) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 3 characters do not share a sound — their readings span sǎn, sàn, yáng, sā, sǎ — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 散 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 散 sǎn / sànleisurely; loosen; powdered medicine; to scatter; to come loose; adjournUseful words: 散步, 分散
- 扬 yánghurl; to raise; to scatterUseful words: 表扬, 赞扬
- 撒 sā / sǎlet go; to scatterUseful words: 撒谎, 撒然
Common words for these 3 "to scatter" characters
Anchor each of these 3 characters in a word you can picture — start with 散 (sǎn / sàn) — so "to scatter" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
散步sàn bùto take a walk; to go for a walk分散fēn sànto scatter; to disperse; to distribute散文sǎn wén(broadly) prose (as opposed to verse); (more narrowly) free-form literary prose, such as essays, sketches and reflections表扬biǎo yángto praise; to commend赞扬zàn yángto praise; to approve of; to show approval宣扬xuān yángto publicize; to advertise; to spread far and wide撒谎sā huǎngto tell lies撒然sā ránsudden撒种sǎ zhǒngto sow seeds
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 3 ways to say "to scatter".
扬 yáng — hurl; to raise; to scatter
国旗在风中高高飘扬。Guó qí zài fēng zhōng gāo gāo piāo yáng.The national flag flutters high in the wind.
Common words: 表扬 (biǎo yáng)、赞扬 (zàn yáng)、宣扬 (xuān yáng)
撒 sā / sǎ — let go; to scatter
农民把种子撒在田里。Nóng mín bǎ zhǒng zi sǎ zài tián lǐ.The farmer scatters seeds in the field.
Common words: 撒谎 (sā huǎng)、撒然 (sā rán)、撒种 (sǎ zhǒng)
All 3 characters
Open 散、扬、撒 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.