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澌 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
澌sīto vanish, to disappear; to exhaust, to dry upg, 15 strokes, radical 氵
澌sīdrain dryunknown, 15 strokes, radical 氵
sī(si1) T1
  1. 1to vanish, to disappear; to exhaust, to dry up
  2. 2drain dry
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

澌sī(si1)

The character 澌 (sī) primarily means 'to vanish' or 'to disappear,' often used in contexts where something is being depleted or exhausted. It can describe the draining away of resources, emotions, or even the fading of memories, conveying a sense of finality and loss.

Strokes15Radical氵
Cultural Note

In Chinese poetry, water often symbolizes life and emotions; thus, 澌 conveys a deep cultural significance where the disappearance of water can metaphorically relate to loss or longing, echoing themes found in traditional literature.

Memory Tip

Imagine a serene pond (the water radical 水) that gradually dries up, leaving only cracked earth behind. This visual of water evaporating helps you remember 澌 (sī) as it relates to vanishing and exhaustion, while the sound 'sī' can be linked to the whispering sound of water disappearing.

Meanings of 澌

sī(si1)
1to vanish, to disappear; to exhaust, to dry up
2drain dry
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 澌

澌Simplified
15Strokes
氵Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 澌

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Podcast: 澌

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AI Study Notes for 澌

Usage Notes

澌 is rarely used in everyday conversation and may often appear in literary or poetic contexts. Be careful not to confuse it with similar-sounding words like 死 (sǐ, to die), which has a different meaning and emotional weight. It’s important to note that 澌 is more formal and might not be understood in casual contexts.

HSK Study Tips

澌 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists but can be related to other HSK terms involving water and disappearance, such as 消失 (xiāoshī, to disappear). Focus on the nuances of how water-related characters convey emotions or states of being.

Common Mistakes

Learners often misuse 澌 in casual conversation, as its formal tone may confuse native speakers. For example, saying '我澌了所有的水' (I vanished all the water) is incorrect; instead, use '我喝光了所有的水' (I drank all the water).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 澌

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Etymology of 澌

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

water

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 澌

  1. 1The meaning half氵 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half斯 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 澌? 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 澌?

Decomposition of 澌

IDS Structure⿰氵斯
澌Full Character
=
氵shui3
left
斯Si1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 澌?

How to say to vanish, to disappear; to exhaust, to dry up in Chinese

“to vanish, to disappear; to exhaust, to dry up” in Chinese is澌sī

The character 澌 (sī) primarily means 'to vanish' or 'to disappear,' often used in contexts where something is being depleted or exhausted. It can describe the draining away of resources, emotions, or even the fading of memories, conveying a sense of finality and loss.

When to use 澌

澌 is rarely used in everyday conversation and may often appear in literary or poetic contexts. Be careful not to confuse it with similar-sounding words like 死 (sǐ, to die), which has a different meaning and emotional weight. It’s important to note that 澌 is more formal and might not be understood in casual contexts.

What learners get wrong

Learners often misuse 澌 in casual conversation, as its formal tone may confuse native speakers. For example, saying '我澌了所有的水' (I vanished all the water) is incorrect; instead, use '我喝光了所有的水' (I drank all the water).

Write 澌

澌

Practice writing 澌 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 澌

Words Containing This Character1
澌sīdrain dry
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 澌 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 澌

No, 澌 is more commonly found in literary texts rather than in everyday spoken Mandarin.

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