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泞 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
泞nìngmud, mire; muddy, stagnantg, 8 strokes, radical 氵
nìng(ning4)ning T4
  1. 1mud, mire; muddy, stagnant
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March 24, 2026

泞(濘)nìng(ning4)

The character 泞 (nìng) refers to mud or mire, often emphasizing a state of being muddy or stagnant. It is used in contexts where water and dirt combine to create a thick, unpleasant substance, typically in outdoor settings or describing unclean conditions.

Strokes8Radical氵
Cultural note

In Chinese literature, mud often symbolizes stagnation or being stuck in a difficult situation, reflecting broader themes of struggle and perseverance. This character might appear in poetry discussing nature or personal hardship.

Memory tip

Imagine a muddy lake (湖) where the water is so thick with mud (泥) that it becomes stagnant and hard to walk through. The character 泞 looks like a water radical (氵) flowing into a pool of mud, reminding you that 'nìng' means muddy.

Meanings of 泞

nìng(ning4)
1mud, mire; muddy, stagnant
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 泞

泞Simplified
濘Traditional
8Strokes
氵Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 泞

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Podcast: 泞

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AI study notes for 泞

Quick Contrast

泥 (ní, mud) vs 泥泞 (ní nìng, muddy/mire-like) — use 泞 when specifically emphasizing a thick, stagnant quality of mud.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 泞 with similar characters like 泥 (ní), which specifically means 'mud'. 泞 is more descriptive of a muddy state rather than just the substance. It is more commonly used in literary or descriptive contexts rather than daily conversation.

HSK Study Tips

Though 泞 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, it connects with words related to water (水) and mud (泥), which might be found in lower levels. Students should focus on recognizing the context in which 泞 might appear, especially in written texts.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 泞 (nìng) with 泥 (ní), which means 'mud' specifically, leading to incorrect usage. For example, saying '这地方很泞' (This place is very muddy) is correct, while '这地方很泥' would be incorrect as 泥 does not describe a quality.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 泞

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Etymology of 泞

Formation typeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Memory hint

Still 宁 water 氵; 宁 also provides the pronunciation

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

Origin

What kind of character is 泞?

Decomposition of 泞

IDS Structure⿰氵宁
泞Full character
=
氵shui3
left
宁Ning2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 泞?

How to say mud, mire; muddy, stagnant in Chinese

“mud, mire; muddy, stagnant” in Chinese is泞nìng

The character 泞 (nìng) refers to mud or mire, often emphasizing a state of being muddy or stagnant. It is used in contexts where water and dirt combine to create a thick, unpleasant substance, typically in outdoor settings or describing unclean conditions.

When to use 泞

Be careful not to confuse 泞 with similar characters like 泥 (ní), which specifically means 'mud'. 泞 is more descriptive of a muddy state rather than just the substance. It is more commonly used in literary or descriptive contexts rather than daily conversation.

泞 or something close to it

泥 (ní, mud) vs 泥泞 (ní nìng, muddy/mire-like) — use 泞 when specifically emphasizing a thick, stagnant quality of mud.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 泞 (nìng) with 泥 (ní), which means 'mud' specifically, leading to incorrect usage. For example, saying '这地方很泞' (This place is very muddy) is correct, while '这地方很泥' would be incorrect as 泥 does not describe a quality.

Write 泞

泞

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

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Grammar patterns of 泞

泞 carries one core meaning. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.

Exercise 1 of 4

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

路上不时会有吹聚起的积雪，泥____而湿滑。

Here and there a drift across the road was wet and slushy.

Example sentences for 泞 (5)

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1
路上不时会有吹聚起的积雪，泥泞而湿滑。

lùshang bùshí huì yǒu chuī jù qǐ de jī xuě， nínìng ér shī huá。

Here and there a drift across the road was wet and slushy.
2
他们下了车，然后开始沿着泥泞的小路往前走。

tāmen xià le chē， ránhòu kāishǐ yánzhe nínìng de xiǎolù wǎngqián zǒu。

They left the car and struck out along the muddy track.
3
这路太泥泞使所有前进的努力都白费劲.

zhè lù tài nínìng shǐ suǒyǒu qiánjìn de nǔlì dōu bái fèijìn.

The deep mud negatived all the efforts to advance.
4
我们的马沿着泥泞小路蹒跚而行。

wǒmen de mǎ yánzhe nínìng xiǎolù pán shān ér xíng。

Our horses plodded down the muddy track.
5
骆驼的蹄子虽然非常适合于在干沙上行走，碰到泥泞时却无计可施。

luò tuó de tí zi suīrán fēicháng shìhé yú zài gān Shā shàngxíng zǒu， pèngdào nínìng shí què wú jì kě Shī。

The camel's feet, well adapted for dry sand, are useless on mud.

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Word Family of 泞

Words containing this character2
泥泞muddy泥濘
泞nìngmuddy濘
Exercise 1 of 1

Words with 泞

What does 泥泞 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 泞

The pronunciation is 'nìng', with a falling tone.

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