noun HSK 5
Traditional 殘片
cán piàn
fragment · remnant · shard · broken piece

Meaning

残片 refers to a fragment or broken piece of something larger that once existed as a whole. It commonly describes pieces of ancient artifacts, broken pottery, torn documents, or any incomplete remnant. The word carries connotations of something incomplete or damaged from its original state.

Usage

This word is frequently used in archaeological, historical, or literary contexts to describe physical fragments like pottery shards or torn manuscripts. In everyday speech, it can describe any broken piece, though more colloquial terms might be preferred for common objects. Often paired with words indicating what type of fragment it is.

Examples

  1. 01
    考古学家在遗址中发现了许多陶瓷残片
    Kǎo xué jiā zài zhǐ zhōng xiàn le duō táo cán piàn.
    Archaeologists discovered many pottery fragments at the site.
  2. 02
    这些甲骨文残片对研究商代历史非常重要。
    Zhè xiē jiǎ wén cán piàn duì yán jiū Shāng dài shǐ fēi cháng zhòng yào.
    These oracle bone script fragments are very important for studying Shang Dynasty history.

Characters

Measure words

  • kuài一块残片
  • piàn一片残片

Common collocations

  • 陶瓷残片
    táo cán piàn
    pottery fragments
  • 甲骨残片
    jiǎ cán piàn
    oracle bone fragments
  • 文献残片
    wén xiàn cán piàn
    manuscript fragments
  • 记忆残片
    cán piàn
    memory fragments

Antonyms

Origin

残 originally depicted a weapon damaging bones, representing harm or incompleteness. 片 shows half of a piece of wood split vertically, representing a thin slice or fragment. Together they emphasize something broken or incomplete.

Related