シャン

also: シヤン

シャ

ン

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

Uncommon, dated loanword used adjectivally as シャンな and nominally for someone or something beautiful. Modern Japanese would usually use きれい, 美しい, or 美人 depending on the context.

from German schön

昔むかしの小しょう説せつに「シャンな娘むすめ」という表ひょう現げんが出でてくる。
The expression “a pretty girl” appears in an old novel.
祖そ父ふは冗じょう談だんめかして、彼かの女じょをシャンだと言いった。
My grandfather jokingly said that she was a beauty.

Related words

綺き麗れいN5
きれい is the ordinary modern word for pretty or beautiful, while シャン is a dated, rarely used loanword with the same meaning.
美うつくしいN4
美しい is a standard, slightly literary word for beautiful, whereas シャン is an old-fashioned slang term seldom used today.
美び人じんN3
美人 is the common noun for a beautiful person and is what modern speakers use instead of シャン.

Word family

朝あさシャン
morning shampoo; washing hair in the morning
湯ゆシャン
no-poo; washing hair with water only
シャンビリ
tinnitus and tingling or shock-like sensations (as antidepressant withdrawal symptoms)
バックシャン
woman with a nice rear view; good-looking from behind

Written forms

シャンUsage100%
Standard katakana spelling of this German-derived word; the word itself is uncommon and old-fashioned in modern Japanese.
シヤン
irregular kana usage
Attested irregular kana spelling; useful for recognizing older or nonstandard writing, but not a recommended modern spelling.

Etymology

Borrowed from German schön, meaning “beautiful.” German origin is indicated; the word is now much less common than ordinary native or Sino-Japanese alternatives.