water

Origin & mnemonic

The water radical originates from a pictograph depicting flowing water. In seal script, it consists of three vertical strokes (representing streams of water) with a horizontal stroke in the middle (indicating the water surface), forming a wave-like shape.

Mnemonic: Three lines piercing through the middle represent three streams of water flowing across a wave's surface.

• 混hùn🔊

  to mix

  HSK 6

  11 strokes

• 深shēn🔊

  (lit. and fig.) deep

  HSK 3

  11 strokes

• 清qīng🔊

  (of water etc) clear; clean

  HSK 6

  11 strokes

• 涴wò🔊

  to soil

  11 strokes

• 凉liáng🔊

  cool

  HSK 2

  11 strokes

• 添tiān🔊

  to add; to increase; to replenish

  HSK 6

  11 strokes

• 浅qiǎn🔊

  shallow

  HSK 4

  11 strokes

• 淩líng🔊

  variant of 凌[ling2]

  11 strokes

• 淮Huái🔊

  name of a river

  11 strokes

• 淑shū🔊

  (bound form) (of women) gentle; kind; lovely; admirable

  11 strokes

• 淡dàn🔊

  insipid

  HSK 4

  11 strokes

• 液yè🔊

  (bound form) a liquid

  11 strokes

• 淫yín🔊

  excess

  11 strokes

• 泪lèi🔊

  (bound form) tears; teardrops

  HSK 4

  11 strokes

• 淏hào🔊

  (literary) (of water) limpid

  11 strokes

• 淝féi🔊

  name of a river

  11 strokes

• 淋lín🔊

  to sprinkle

  HSK 7

  11 strokes

• 淌tǎng🔊

  to drip

  HSK 7

  11 strokes

• 淸qīng🔊

  variant of 清[qing1]

  11 strokes

• 淹yān🔊

  to flood

  HSK 7

  11 strokes

• 淘táo🔊

  to wash (rice, sand etc in water to remove impurities)

  HSK 7

  11 strokes

• 㴋xiāo🔊

  sound of rain and wind

  11 strokes

• 涪Fú🔊

  (name of a river)

  11 strokes

• 涫guàn🔊

  (classical) to boil

  11 strokes

• 涬xìng🔊

  watery expanse

  11 strokes

• 涮shuàn🔊

  to rinse; to swish (in water)

  HSK 7

  11 strokes

• 涯yá🔊

  border

  11 strokes

• 涵hán🔊

  to contain

  11 strokes

• 涶tuò🔊

  variant of 唾[tuo4]

  11 strokes

• 涸hé🔊

  to dry

  11 strokes

• 涿zhuō🔊

  used in place names

  11 strokes

• 淀diàn🔊

  (bound form) shallow lake (usu. in place names)

  11 strokes

• 淂dé🔊

  (river)

  11 strokes

• 淄zī🔊

  black

  11 strokes

• 淅xī🔊

  (onom.) sound of rain, sleet etc

  11 strokes

• 淆xiáo🔊

  variant of 淆[xiao2]

  11 strokes

• 淇qí🔊

  name of a river

  11 strokes

• 淊yān🔊

  variant of 淹[yan1]

  11 strokes

• 淖nào🔊

  slush

  11 strokes

• 淙cóng🔊

  noise of water

  11 strokes

• 淜péng🔊

  roar of dashing waves

  11 strokes

• 淞sōng🔊

  variant of 凇[song1]

  11 strokes

• 淟tiǎn🔊

  turbid

  11 strokes

• 淠pì🔊

  luxuriant (of water plants)

  11 strokes

• 淢yù🔊

  moat

  11 strokes

• 淤yū🔊

  silt

  11 strokes

• 渌lù🔊

  clear (water)

  11 strokes

• 淦gàn🔊

  (archaic) water leaking into a boat

  11 strokes