雨伞
yǔ sǎn · umbrella; rain umbrella
外面下雨，别忘了带雨伞。
It’s raining outside, so don’t forget to take an umbrella.
Chinese character · HSK 4
伞 (sǎn) — “umbrella”
The simplified character is a direct pictograph of an open umbrella, with the top representing the canopy, the middle strokes representing the ribs, and the vertical line acting as the handle.
Memory cue
The wide canopy (人) and wooden ribs perfectly form the shape of an open umbrella.
Video mnemonic
Watch 伞 in motion
See the visual story unfold, then connect it to the words and sentences below.
Common ways to use 伞
伞 means “umbrella” in everyday compounds and extends to the umbrella-like parachute in words about parachuting.
撑伞
chēng sǎn · to hold up an umbrella
下雨时，她为孩子撑伞。
When it rains, she holds an umbrella over the child.
降落伞
jiàng luò sǎn · parachute
飞行员打开了降落伞。
The pilot opened the parachute.
Usage note: A parachute resembles an open umbrella, which makes the extended sense easy to remember.
跳伞
tiào sǎn · to go parachuting; parachuting
我想试一次跳伞。
I want to try parachuting once.
Usage note: Learn this as the usual verb for recreational or emergency parachuting, not as “jump with an umbrella.”
Inside the character
- 人 (person) — meaning component. The standalone person form — often marks people, humanity, or human action.
- 十 (ten) — meaning component. A simple cross — used for counting, completeness, or as a structural anchor.
Where 伞 comes from
The traditional character '傘' depicted four little '人' (people) taking shelter underneath a large canopy. The simplified form '伞' elegantly strips the image down to the bare mechanical frame of a single umbrella.
Don’t mix up 伞
These characters are close enough in shape to misread at speed. Telling them apart is a matter of spotting the one component that differs.
- 个 (gè, individual / piece) — Both contain 人 — the difference is 十 in 伞 versus 丨 in 个.
- 介 (jiè, to introduce / to interpose) — Both contain 人 — the rest of the character is what tells them apart.
- 企 (qǐ, enterprise / look forward to) — Both contain 人 — the difference is 十 in 伞 versus 止 in 企.
Learn 伞 the visual way. InkSeal pairs every HSK 1–6
character with an illustration like this one, Common-use words and sentences,
component breakdowns, etymology, and recall-first review. The first 100
characters are free.
More characters: 供 (gòng / gōng, to offer / to provide) · 具 (jù, tool / device) · 册 (cè, book / volume) — or browse the full character library.