noun HSK 5
Traditional 塵
dust · dirt · earthly world
Meaning
尘 refers to dust, fine particles of dirt, or powder that accumulates on surfaces. In literary and Buddhist contexts, it also symbolizes the mundane, earthly world or worldly concerns that cloud spiritual clarity.
Usage
In everyday speech, 尘 commonly appears in compounds like 灰尘 (dust) rather than alone. In literary Chinese and Buddhism, 尘 represents worldly attachments or the material realm, as in 红尘 (the mortal world) or 尘世 (this earthly world). The phrase 一尘不染 describes extreme cleanliness or moral purity.
Examples
- 01桌子上落了一层灰尘。.A layer of dust has settled on the table.
- 02他看破红尘，出家为僧。, .He saw through the vanity of worldly affairs and became a monk.
Common collocations
- 一尘不染spotlessly clean; untainted
- 尘世this mortal world
- 尘埃dust (literary)
- 除尘to remove dust; dust removal
Origin
The traditional form 塵 shows three 鹿 (deer) under 土 (earth), originally depicting many deer running and raising dust. The simplified form 尘 uses 小 (small) over 土 (earth) to suggest tiny particles of earth.