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瀨 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
瀨làicurrent, rapidsx, 19 strokes, radical 氵
lài(lai4) T4
  1. 1current, rapids
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

瀨lài(lai4)

The character 瀨 (lài) refers to a fast-moving current or rapids in a river. It describes a specific type of water flow that is turbulent and swift, often found in natural bodies of water. This word is commonly used in literary contexts or when discussing nature and geography.

Strokes19Radical氵
Cultural Note

In Chinese poetry and literature, rivers and their currents often symbolize the passage of time and change. The word 瀨 is sometimes used in classical texts to evoke imagery of nature's beauty and power.

Memory Tip

Imagine a 'lively' stream that is 'loud' and 'fast,' like water splashing over rocks. The left part of the character (氵) represents water, while the right part (来) can remind you of 'coming' or 'flowing.' Together, they evoke the image of water rushing in a current.

Meanings of 瀨

lài(lai4)
1current, rapids
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 瀨

瀨Simplified
19Strokes
氵Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 瀨

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Podcast: 瀨

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AI Study Notes for 瀨

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 瀨 (lài) with similar-sounding words in Mandarin. This word is more formal and may not be widely used in everyday conversation. Common collocations include river contexts, such as 流瀨 (liúlài - flowing rapids).

HSK Study Tips

Though 瀨 (lài) is not part of the HSK vocabulary, learners at higher levels should focus on this word to expand their understanding of nature-related terms. It connects with other water-related characters like 河 (hé - river) and 流 (liú - flow).

Common Mistakes

Learners sometimes confuse 瀨 (lài) with similar characters like 来 (lái) which means 'come.' Remember that 瀨 specifically relates to water currents. A common error is using 瀨 to describe still water, which is incorrect.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 瀨

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Etymology of 瀨

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

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 赖 represents the sound. Simplified form of 瀨.

Memory Hint

water

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 瀨

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 赖 represents the sound. Simplified form of 瀨.

  1. 1The meaning half氵 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half賴 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 瀨? 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 瀨?

Decomposition of 瀨

IDS Structure⿰氵賴
瀨Full Character
=
氵shui3
left
賴lai4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 瀨?

How to say current, rapids in Chinese

“current, rapids” in Chinese is瀨lài

The character 瀨 (lài) refers to a fast-moving current or rapids in a river. It describes a specific type of water flow that is turbulent and swift, often found in natural bodies of water. This word is commonly used in literary contexts or when discussing nature and geography.

When to use 瀨

Be careful not to confuse 瀨 (lài) with similar-sounding words in Mandarin. This word is more formal and may not be widely used in everyday conversation. Common collocations include river contexts, such as 流瀨 (liúlài - flowing rapids).

What learners get wrong

Learners sometimes confuse 瀨 (lài) with similar characters like 来 (lái) which means 'come.' Remember that 瀨 specifically relates to water currents. A common error is using 瀨 to describe still water, which is incorrect.

Write 瀨

瀨

Practice writing 瀨 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 瀨

Words Containing This Character1
濑làiname of a river瀨
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 濑 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 瀨

It is pronounced as 'lài' with a falling tone.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 瀨?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.