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涔 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
涔cénto overflow; rainwater; a river in Shaanxi provinceg, 10 strokes, radical 氵, rank #65431, Very Hard
涔cénoverflowunknown, 10 strokes, radical 氵, rank #65431, Very Hard
涔céntearfulunknown, 10 strokes, radical 氵, rank #65431, Very Hard
cén(cen2) T2
  1. 1to overflow; rainwater; a river in Shaanxi province
  2. 2overflow
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

涔cén(cen2)

The character 涔 (cén) primarily refers to overflow or the act of water spilling over. It can describe the phenomenon of rainwater accumulating or overflowing, and is also used to denote tears or a tearful state. This character is often used in literary contexts to evoke imagery related to water and emotions.

Strokes10Radical氵Frequency#65431DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese poetry, the imagery of overflowing water often symbolizes deep emotions, such as sorrow or longing, making 涔 a poignant character in expressing emotional states. This connection highlights the importance of nature in reflecting human feelings in Chinese culture.

Memory Tip

Imagine a river (水) overflowing its banks and causing a flood, which is a dramatic scene of 涔 (cén). The character combines the water radical (氵) with a component that suggests overflowing, making it easier to remember its connection to water and tears.

Meanings of 涔

cén(cen2)
1to overflow; rainwater; a river in Shaanxi province
2overflow
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 涔

涔Simplified
10Strokes
氵Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 涔

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Podcast: 涔

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AI Study Notes for 涔

Usage Notes

Learners should be aware that 涔 is not commonly used in everyday conversation, making it less familiar in informal contexts. It may often appear in poetic or literary works. A common mistake is to confuse it with similar-sounding characters; careful attention to pronunciation is necessary.

HSK Study Tips

While 涔 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it can be linked to words related to water (水) and emotions (情). Students should focus on understanding the context in which this character appears, especially in literary texts, to grasp its nuanced meanings.

Common Mistakes

Learners might confuse 涔 with the character 淳 (chún), which means pure or simple. For example, saying '我感觉很涔' instead of '我感觉很伤心' (I feel very tearful) shows a misunderstanding of usage.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 涔

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Etymology of 涔

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

water

Semantic (meaning)氵
+
Phonetic (sound)岑
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 涔

  1. 1The meaning half氵 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half岑 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaywater
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 涔? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 涔?

Decomposition of 涔

IDS Structure⿰氵岑
涔Full Character
=
氵shui3
left
岑Cen2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 涔?

How to say to overflow; rainwater; a river in Shaanxi province in Chinese

“to overflow; rainwater; a river in Shaanxi province” in Chinese is涔cén

The character 涔 (cén) primarily refers to overflow or the act of water spilling over. It can describe the phenomenon of rainwater accumulating or overflowing, and is also used to denote tears or a tearful state. This character is often used in literary contexts to evoke imagery related to water and emotions.

When to use 涔

Learners should be aware that 涔 is not commonly used in everyday conversation, making it less familiar in informal contexts. It may often appear in poetic or literary works. A common mistake is to confuse it with similar-sounding characters; careful attention to pronunciation is necessary.

What learners get wrong

Learners might confuse 涔 with the character 淳 (chún), which means pure or simple. For example, saying '我感觉很涔' instead of '我感觉很伤心' (I feel very tearful) shows a misunderstanding of usage.

Write 涔

涔

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 涔

Words Containing This Character1
涔cénoverflow
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 涔 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 涔

No, 涔 is more often found in literary contexts than in everyday speech.

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