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涌 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
chōngto bubble upHSK 7, v, 10 strokes, radical 氵, rank #8390, Hard
chōngto rush forthHSK 7, v, 10 strokes, radical 氵, rank #8390, Hard
chōngto surge up, to bubble up, to gush forthHSK 7, v, 10 strokes, radical 氵, rank #8390, Hard
chōng(used in place names)HSK 7, unknown, 10 strokes, radical 氵, rank #8390, Hard
yǒngto bubble upHSK 7, v, 10 strokes, radical 氵, rank #8390, Hard
yǒngto rush forthHSK 7, v, 10 strokes, radical 氵, rank #8390, Hard
yǒngto surge up, to bubble up, to gush forthHSK 7, v, 10 strokes, radical 氵, rank #8390, Hard
yǒng(used in place names)HSK 7, unknown, 10 strokes, radical 氵, rank #8390, Hard
chōng(chong1)
primary
T1
  1. 1to bubble up
  2. 2to rush forth
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

(湧)chōng(chong1)

The character 涌 (chōng) means to bubble up or surge forth, often used to describe liquids that rise or flow forcefully. It can also convey a sense of something rushing forth energetically, such as emotions or crowds. Common contexts include describing water surging in rivers or feelings overwhelming a person.

Strokes10RadicalFrequency#8390DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of water surging is often associated with vitality and movement, symbolizing the flow of life and energy. This is reflected in poetry and literature where water imagery conveys emotional depth.

Memory Tip

Imagine a strong wave at the beach that suddenly rushes up the shore, creating a bubbling foam. The character 涌 resembles a wave (the top part) surging up, and the sound 'chōng' is like the 'crash' of the wave as it hits the sand.

Meanings of 涌

chōng(chong1)
primary
1to bubble up
2to rush forth
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 涌

Simplified
Traditional
10Strokes
Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#8390Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2

Podcast: 涌

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AI Study Notes for 涌

Quick Contrast

涌 (chōng) vs 奔 (bēn) — use 涌 for liquids or emotions that rise or surge, while 奔 emphasizes rapid movement or running.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a strong wave at the beach that suddenly rushes up the shore, creating a bubbling foam. The character 涌 resembles a wave (the top part) surging up, and the sound 'chōng' is like the 'crash' of the wave as it hits the sand.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 涌 with similar characters like 湧 (yǒng), which is a variant. It is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts but be cautious with its tone; the first tone 'chōng' is crucial for correct pronunciation. Common collocations include '涌动' (yǒngdòng, to surge) and '涌现' (yǒngxiàn, to emerge in abundance).

HSK Study Tips

Although 涌 is not specified in the HSK levels, it connects well with HSK 3 and 4 vocabulary focusing on natural phenomena and emotions. Students should pay attention to context when using it, especially in descriptive scenarios.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of water surging is often associated with vitality and movement, symbolizing the flow of life and energy. This is reflected in poetry and literature where water imagery conveys emotional depth.

Common Mistakes

Learners may mistakenly use 湧 in place of 涌, especially in casual conversation. For example, saying '我感觉到情绪湧上来' instead of '我感觉到情绪涌上来' is incorrect; use 涌 for this context.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 涌

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Etymology of 涌

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 甬 represents the sound. Simplified form of 湧.

Memory Hint

water

Semantic (meaning)
+
Phonetic (sound)
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 涌?

Decomposition of 涌

IDS Structure⿰氵甬
Full Character
=
shui3
left
tong3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 涌?

Write 涌

Practice writing stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 涌

涌 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 4 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

人群为了被视为最值得拥有的物品____入屋里。

The crowd moved indoors for what were deemed the most desirable items.

Example Sentences for 涌 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
人群为了被视为最值得拥有的物品涌入屋里。

rén qún wéi le bèi shì wéi zuì zhí dé yōng yǒu de wù pǐn yǒng rù wū lǐ。

The crowd moved indoors for what were deemed the most desirable items.
2
成千上万家新成立的公司已涌进了计算机市场。

chéng qiān shàng wàn jiā xīn chéng lì de gōng sī yǐ yǒng jìn le jì suàn jī shì cháng。

Thousands and thousands of start-up firms have poured into the computer market.
3
心头涌起一阵强烈的感情,模糊了他的判断力。

xīn tóu yǒng qǐ yī zhèn qiáng liè de gǎn qíng, , mó hū le tā de pàn duàn。

A tide of emotion rose and clouded his judgement.
4
那一刻,一股仇恨在我的血液中翻涌。

nà yī kè, , yī gǔ chóu hèn zài wǒ de xiě yè zhōng fān。

In that moment a surge of hatred flowed through my blood.
5
批评的声音不会阻止人们涌到影院观看这部电影。

pī píng de shēng yīn bù huì zǔ zhǐ rén mén yǒng dào yǐng yuàn guān kàn zhè bù diàn yǐng。

The criticisms will not stop people flocking to see the film.
6
有时海上波涛汹涌,她就会晕船。

yǒu shí hǎi shàng bō tāo xiōng yǒng, , tā jiù huì yùn。

It was quite rough at times, and she was seasick.
7
当我回想起来,往事全都涌上了心头。

dāng wǒ huí xiǎng qǐ lái, , wǎng shì quán dū yǒng shàng le xīn。

When I thought about it, it all came back.
8
海浪变得汹涌澎湃,把小船像漂浮的软木塞一样抛来甩去。

hǎi làng biàn dé xiōng yǒng péng pài, , bǎ xiǎo chuán xiàng piāo fú de ruǎn mù sāi yī yàng pāo lái shuǎi。

The seas grew turbulent, tossing the small boat like a cork.
9
成千上万的难民涌入拥挤不堪的城镇和村庄。

chéng qiān shàng wàn de nán mín yǒng rù yōng jǐ bù kān de chéng zhèn hé cūn zhuāng。

Thousands of refugees are packed into over-crowded towns and villages.
10
一艘捕鱼船和一艘货船在波涛汹涌的海上相撞了。

yī sōu bǔ yú chuán hé yī sōu huò chuán zài bō tāo xiōng yǒng de hǎi shàng xiāng zhuàng le。

A fishing vessel and a cargo ship collided in rough seas.

Cultural Notes for 涌

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, the concept of water surging is often associated with vitality and movement, symbolizing the flow of life and energy. This is reflected in poetry and literature where water imagery conveys emotional depth.

Word Family of 涌

Compounds1
Words Containing This Character18
chōngto bubble up
涌现yǒngxiànto spring up湧現
汹涌xiōngyǒngturbulent洶湧
涌入yǒngrùinflux湧入
喷涌to bubble out噴湧
涌起to well up湧起
涌进to spill湧進
涌泉gushing spring湧泉
风起云涌to grow by leaps and bounds風起雲湧
泉涌to gush泉湧
潮涌to surge like the tide潮湧
波涛汹涌waves surging forth波濤洶涌
翻涌to roll over and over (of billows or clouds)翻湧
涌流to gush湧流
涌浪swell湧浪
云涌in force雲湧
涌溢to well up湧溢
风起潮涌turbulent times風起潮湧
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 涌 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 涌

涌 (chōng) is often used in contemporary contexts, while 湧 (yǒng) is considered a variant, particularly in place names or historical texts.