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潜 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
潜qiánhiddenHSK 7, v, 15 strokes, radical 氵, rank #7688, Hard
潜qiánsecretHSK 7, v, 15 strokes, radical 氵, rank #7688, Hard
潜qiánlatentHSK 7, v, 15 strokes, radical 氵, rank #7688, Hard
潜qiánto hideHSK 7, v, 15 strokes, radical 氵, rank #7688, Hard
潜qiánto concealHSK 7, v, 15 strokes, radical 氵, rank #7688, Hard
潜qiánto submergeHSK 7, v, 15 strokes, radical 氵, rank #7688, Hard
潜qiánto diveHSK 7, v, 15 strokes, radical 氵, rank #7688, Hard
qián(qian2) T2
  1. 1hidden
  2. 2secret
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
潜(潛)qián(qian2)

The character 潜 (qián) primarily means 'to hide' or 'to conceal.' It is often used in contexts relating to something that is not immediately visible or is kept secret, such as hidden talents or submerged objects. Additionally, it can refer to the act of diving underwater.

Strokes15Radical氵Frequency#7688DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, the idea of 潜 is often linked to the concept of '潜龙勿用' (the hidden dragon does not yet act), emphasizing the value of patience and discretion in achieving success.

Memory Tip

Imagine a secret agent diving underwater to hide from enemies. The character 潜 resembles a person submerging (the water radical 氵) while hiding their true identity (the component 潜, where the '潜' sounds like 'qián' and represents secrecy).

Meanings of 潜

qián(qian2)
1hidden
2secret
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 潜

潜Simplified
潛Traditional
15Strokes
氵Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#7688Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7

Podcast: 潜

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Podcast: 潜

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AI Study Notes for 潜

Quick Contrast

潜 (qián) vs 隐 (yǐn) — use 潜 for contexts involving hiding or concealing something that is submerged or not immediately visible, while 隐 is more about general secrecy or obscurity.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a secret agent diving underwater to hide from enemies. The character 潜 resembles a person submerging (the water radical 氵) while hiding their true identity (the component 潜, where the '潜' sounds like 'qián' and represents secrecy).

Usage Notes

Be cautious with the tone; 潜 is pronounced with a rising tone (qián). It is often used in formal contexts when discussing hidden aspects of something, like 潜力 (hidden potential). A common mistake is confusing it with 浅 (qiǎn), which means shallow.

HSK Study Tips

While 潜 is not currently on the HSK list, it can be associated with concepts in HSK Level 4 vocabulary related to hidden or underlying meanings. Focus on using it in sentences that describe concealed emotions or hidden qualities.

Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, the idea of 潜 is often linked to the concept of '潜龙勿用' (the hidden dragon does not yet act), emphasizing the value of patience and discretion in achieving success.

Common Mistakes

Learners sometimes confuse 潜 with the similar-sounding 浅 (qiǎn), which means shallow, leading to incorrect phrases like 潜水浅 (qián shuǐ qiǎn) instead of 潜水 (qián shuǐ, meaning diving). Always remember the context when using 潜.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 潜

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Etymology of 潜

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

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 替 represents the sound. Simplified form of 潛.

Memory Hint

water

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

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 潜?

Decomposition of 潜

IDS Structure⿰氵替
潜Full Character
=
氵shui3
left
替ti4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 潜?

Write 潜

潜

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

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Grammar Patterns of 潜

潜 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 7 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.

Related grammar lessons1
Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

他们关注的是公开的歧视，而不是种族主义的一些____在问题。

They focus on overt discrimination rather than insidious aspects of racism.

Example Sentences for 潜 (10)

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1
他们关注的是公开的歧视，而不是种族主义的一些潜在问题。

tā mén guān zhù de shì gōng kāi de qí shì， ， ér bù shì zhǒng zú zhǔ yì de yī xiē qián zài wèn。

They focus on overt discrimination rather than insidious aspects of racism.
2
这一工艺的潜在收益不可估量。

zhè yī gōng yì de qián zài shōu yì bù kě gū liáng。

It is hard to overestimate the potential gains from this process.
3
他在北海学会了潜水员这一行的本事。

tā zài běi hǎi xué huì le qián shuǐ yuán zhè yī háng de běn shì。

He learnt his trade as a diver in the North Sea.
4
嘲笑声的背后潜伏着一种越来越强烈的不安。

cháo xiào shēng de bèi hòu qián fú zháo yī zhǒng yuè lái yuè qiáng liè de bù ān。

Behind the mocking laughter lurks a growing sense of unease.
5
除了租救生衣，水上运动爱好者还应该考虑租一套潜水服。

chú le zū jiù shēng yī， ， shuǐ shàng yùn dòng ài hǎo zhě huán yīng gāi kǎo lǜ zū yī tào qián shuǐ。

Watersports enthusiasts should consider hiring a wetsuit as well as a lifejacket.
6
他发现有一艘船正在潜艇的右侧航行。

tā fā xiàn yǒu yī sōu chuán zhèng zài qián tǐng de yòu cè háng háng。

He detected a ship moving down the starboard side of the submarine.
7
那个潜艇艇长有个类似于潜望镜之类的东西.

nà gè qián tǐng tǐng cháng yǒu gè lèi sì yú qián wàng jìng zhī lèi de dōng xī.

The captain of the submarine has got this periscope thing.
8
我认为种族偏见固有地存在于几乎所有人的潜意识中。

wǒ rèn wéi zhǒng zú piān jiàn gù yǒu dì cún zài yú jī hū suǒ yǒu rén de qián yì shí zhōng。

I think racism is unconsciously inherent in practically everyone.
9
科学家们知道癌症可能会潜伏多年。

kē xué jiā mén zhī dào ái zhèng kě néng huì qián fú duō nián。

Scientists know that cancer may not show up for many years.
10
我们蹲在水池旁，看着潜水者慢慢沉下水。

wǒ mén dūn zài shuǐ chí páng， ， kàn zháo qián shuǐ zhě màn màn chén xià。

We squatted beside the pool and watched the diver sink slowly down.

Cultural Notes for 潜

🏮Cultural insight

In traditional Chinese culture, the idea of 潜 is often linked to the concept of '潜龙勿用' (the hidden dragon does not yet act), emphasizing the value of patience and discretion in achieving success.

Word Family of 潜

Words Containing This Character20
潜力qiánlìpotential潛力
潜在qiánzàihidden潛在
潜qiánhidden潛
潜水qiánshuǐto dive潛水
潜艇qiántǐngsubmarine潛艇
潜入to submerge潛入
潜意识unconscious mind潛意識
潜能qiánnéngpotential潛能
潜伏to hide潛伏
潜质potential潛質
潜逃to abscond潛逃
潜水员diver潛水員
潜水艇submarine潛水艇
潜心single-minded潛心
潜移默化qiányímòhuàimperceptible influence潛移默化
潜藏buried and concealed潛藏
潜伏期incubation period (of disease)潛伏期
潜台词subtext潛臺詞
反潜anti-submarine反潛
潜行to slink潛行
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 潜力 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 潜

潜 can be used in various contexts, such as discussing hidden abilities (潜力) or in literal terms like diving (潜水).