If someone looks wan, their face has lost its colour and they look weak, ill, or very tired. It is a quiet, written-feeling word — you meet it in novels far more than in conversation. A wan face is a pale face, but not just pale: it carries the idea that something has drained the person, so we use it after illness, after bad news, after a long night, after crying.

If someone looks wan如果一個人看起來wan， their face has lost its colour他們的臉色會失去血色， and they look weak, ill, or very tired看起來虛弱、生病或很累。 It is a quiet, written-feeling word這是個安靜、偏書面的字——you meet it in novels far more than in conversation你在小說裡遇到它遠比在對話裡多。 A wan face一張wan的臉 is a pale face是一張蒼白的臉，but not just pale但不只是蒼白：it carries the idea that something has drained the person它帶著一種被什麼東西抽乾的感覺， so we use it after illness所以我們會在生病後用它、 after bad news聽到壞消息後、 after a long night熬夜之後、 after crying哭過之後。

The most common use in modern English is 'a wan smile'. That means a small, weak smile from someone who is sad, tired, or being brave. If a friend has just failed an exam and you ask if they are okay, and they smile a little without any energy, that is a wan smile.

The most common use in modern English現代英文裡最常見的用法 is is 'a wan smile'勉強無力的笑。 That means指的是 a small, weak smile一個微弱無力的笑容 from someone who is sad, tired, or being brave來自一個難過、疲累或正在硬撐的人。 If a friend has just failed an exam如果朋友剛考差 and you ask if they are okay你問他們還好嗎， and they smile a little without any energy他們有氣無力地笑一下， that is a wan smile那就是wan smile。

The word also stretches to light. A wan light, a wan moon, a wan winter sun — a light that is pale and weak and does not really warm or brighten anything. Writers like this use because it makes the whole scene feel low and tired, not only a person's face.

The word這個字 also stretches to light也延伸到光線上。 A wan light一道微弱慘淡的光, a wan moon一輪慘淡的月亮, a wan winter sun一顆慘淡的冬陽——a light that is pale and weak一種蒼白微弱的光 and does not really warm or brighten anything不太能讓什麼東西變暖或變亮。 Writers like this use作家喜歡這種用法 because it makes the whole scene feel low and tired因為它能讓整個畫面感覺低落又疲憊， not only a person's face不只是一張臉而已。

One thing worth knowing: in Old English the word actually meant 'dark' or 'gloomy', the opposite of pale. Somewhere along the way it turned around and settled on 'pale, sickly'. The old meaning is dead now — nobody uses it — but it explains why the word still feels shadowed rather than simply light-coloured.

One thing worth knowing有件事值得知道： in Old English在古英文裡 the word actually meant 'dark' or 'gloomy'這個字其實原本是指「暗」或「陰沉」， the opposite of pale跟蒼白正好相反。 Somewhere along the way不知道從什麼時候開始 it turned around and settled on 'pale, sickly'它就轉了個彎，變成「蒼白、病懨懨」的意思。 The old meaning is dead now舊的意思現在已經死了——nobody uses it沒有人在用——but it explains why但這解釋了為什麼 the word still feels shadowed rather than simply light-coloured這個字給人的感覺還是陰影重重，而不只是顏色淺而已。

Wan is not 'fair skin' and never a compliment.

Wan Wan不是 'fair skin'膚色白皙 and never a compliment而且從來不是稱讚。