攀
pān
to climb (by pulling oneself up)
to implicate; to claim connections of higher status
Phonetic (樊) + hand (手) = climb by gripping
樊 gives the sound pān; the hand radical anchors the physical act of gripping and hauling oneself upward. The extended meanings — claiming connections, riding on someone's coattails — follow naturally from the image of pulling yourself up by grabbing onto something above you.
他慢慢地攀上了那棵大树。
tā màn màn de pān shàng le nà kē dà shù。
He slowly climbed up that big tree.
她不喜欢高攀，只想找一个普通的人。
tā bù xǐ huān gāo pān，zhǐ xiǎng zhǎo yī gè pǔ tōng de rén。
She does not like to seek connections with those above her station; she just wants to find an ordinary person.
Words with 攀
攀爬
pān pá
to climb
高不可攀
gāo bù kě pān
too high to reach (idiom); eminent and unapproachable
高攀
gāo pān
social climbing
高攀不上
gāo pān bù shàng
to be unworthy to associate with (sb of higher social status)
不敢高攀
bù gǎn gāo pān
lit. not dare to pull oneself up high (humble term)
中华攀雀
zhōng huá pān què
(bird species of China) Chinese penduline tit (Remiz consobrinus)
夤缘攀附
yín yuán pān fù
to cling to the rich and powerful (idiom); to advance one's career by currying favor
攀供
pān gòng
to implicate others, without foundation, in confessing one's own crime
攀升
pān shēng
to clamber up
攀害
pān hài
damaged by slander
攀山家
pān shān jiā
mountaineer (HK)
攀岩
pān yán
rock climbing