Mandarin TempleMandarin Temple Beta Come for Knowledge. Stay for Wisdom.
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
湮 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
湮yānto block up; to sink; to stainv, 12 strokes, radical 氵, Very Hard
湮yānto inundateunknown, 12 strokes, radical 氵, Very Hard
湮yānto buryunknown, 12 strokes, radical 氵, Very Hard
湮yānto cover upunknown, 12 strokes, radical 氵, Very Hard
湮yānobscuredunknown, 12 strokes, radical 氵, Very Hard
湮yānsubmergedunknown, 12 strokes, radical 氵, Very Hard
湮yīnto block up; to sink; to stainv, 12 strokes, radical 氵, Very Hard
湮yīnto inundateunknown, 12 strokes, radical 氵, Very Hard
湮yīnto buryunknown, 12 strokes, radical 氵, Very Hard
湮yīnto cover upunknown, 12 strokes, radical 氵, Very Hard
湮yīnobscuredunknown, 12 strokes, radical 氵, Very Hard
湮yīnsubmergedunknown, 12 strokes, radical 氵, Very Hard
yān(yan1)
primary
 T1
  1. 1to block up; to sink; to stain
  2. 2to inundate
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
湮yān(yan1)

The character 湮 (yān) primarily means to block up or cover something, often implying a sense of obscurity or being submerged. It can be used in contexts related to natural phenomena, such as flooding, or metaphorically to describe information that has been hidden or obscured.

Strokes12Radical氵Frequency#—DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese literature, the concept of things being obscured or buried is often linked to themes of loss and the passage of time, reflecting a cultural appreciation for the transient nature of life and memory.

Memory Tip

Imagine a large dam (the radical 水, meaning water) blocking the flow of a river, causing it to become submerged and obscured. The sound 'yān' can remind you of the action of 'yanking' something away, like pulling a cover over a hidden treasure.

Meanings of 湮

yān(yan1)
primary
1to block up; to sink; to stain
2to inundate
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 湮

湮Simplified
12Strokes
氵Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 湮

JasonAmy

Podcast: 湮

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 湮

Quick Contrast

隐 (yǐn) - choose 湮 (yān) when emphasizing the act of blocking or covering something, while 隐 (yǐn) focuses more on concealment or hiding.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a large dam (the radical 水, meaning water) blocking the flow of a river, causing it to become submerged and obscured. The sound 'yān' can remind you of the action of 'yanking' something away, like pulling a cover over a hidden treasure.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 湮 with similar-sounding characters such as 洇 (yīn), leading to mistakes in both meaning and tone. It is more commonly used in written Chinese, so context is important to ensure clarity.

HSK Study Tips

While 湮 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it connects to other water-related characters at higher levels, such as 河 (hé, river) and 沉 (chén, sink). Students should focus on differentiating it from similar characters and understanding its contextual usage.

Cultural Note

In Chinese literature, the concept of things being obscured or buried is often linked to themes of loss and the passage of time, reflecting a cultural appreciation for the transient nature of life and memory.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 湮 with 洇 due to similar pronunciation and meanings, using 湮 incorrectly in contexts related to 'wet' or 'moist'. For example, saying 湮水 instead of 洇水 when describing something getting wet is incorrect.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 湮

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 湮 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Etymology of 湮

Formation TypeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Memory Hint

A dammed 垔 stream 氵; 垔 also provides the pronunciation

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 湮?

Decomposition of 湮

IDS Structure⿰氵垔
湮Full Character
=
氵shui3
left
垔yin1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 湮?

Write 湮

湮

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 湮

湮 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 6 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 3

Complete the Sentence

这位作者死后很多年,名字一直____没无闻.

The writer's name remained in eclipse for many years after his death.

Example Sentences for 湮 (3)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
这位作者死后很多年,名字一直湮没无闻.

zhè wèi zuò zhě sǐ hòu hěn duō nián, , míng zì yī zhí yān méi wú.

The writer's name remained in eclipse for many years after his death.
2
我不能让这种好人好事湮没无闻.

wǒ bù néng ràng zhè zhǒng hǎo rén hǎo shì yān méi wú wén.

I can't let this act of kindness go unnoticed.
3
可是那些殉难者的事迹却是永远湮没无闻.

kě shì nà xiē xùn nán zhě de shì jì què shì yǒng yuǎn yān méi wú wén.

But the deeds of those who perished will never be known.

Cultural Notes for 湮

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese literature, the concept of things being obscured or buried is often linked to themes of loss and the passage of time, reflecting a cultural appreciation for the transient nature of life and memory.

Word Family of 湮

Words Containing This Character4
湮灭to destroy湮滅
湮没to bury湮沒
湮yānto bury
湮没无闻to pass into oblivion湮沒無聞
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 湮灭 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 湮

It's not commonly used in daily conversation but may appear in literary contexts or discussions about natural events.