verb / noun HSK 5
Traditional 篩
to sift · to screen · to filter · sieve · strainer
Meaning
筛 primarily means to sift or filter something through a mesh or screen to separate fine particles from coarse ones. It can refer to both the physical action of sifting (like flour or sand) and metaphorical screening (like filtering candidates or information).
Usage
Commonly used in cooking contexts (sifting flour, straining liquids), agricultural settings (winnowing grain), and modern contexts like data filtering or candidate screening. The noun usage refers to the physical sieve or strainer tool itself. Often appears in compounds like 筛选 (to screen/select).
Examples
- 01做蛋糕之前要先把面粉筛一下。.Before making a cake, you need to sift the flour first.
- 02公司正在筛选合适的应聘者。.The company is currently screening suitable job applicants.
Measure words
- 个一个筛子
Common collocations
- 筛面粉to sift flour
- 筛选人才to screen candidates
- 筛查to screen (medical); screening
- 用筛子筛to sift with a sieve
Antonyms
Origin
The traditional form 篩 contains the bamboo radical 竹, indicating the original sieves were made from bamboo. The phonetic component provides the pronunciation.