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潜水 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
Hanzi
Pinyin
English
Tags
潜水
qiánshuǐ
to dive
HSK 7, n, 19 strokes, rank #5013, Very Hard
潜水
qiánshuǐ
to go under water
HSK 7, n, 19 strokes, rank #5013, Very Hard
潜水
qiánshuǐ
lurker (Internet slang for sb who reads forum posts but never replies)
HSK 7, n, 19 strokes, rank #5013, Very Hard
qiánshuǐ(qian2shui3)qian shui T2
1to dive
2to go under water
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March 24, 2026
潜水(潛水)qiánshuǐ(qian2shui3)
潜水 (qián shuǐ) means 'to dive' or 'to go underwater.' It can refer to both physical diving, like in swimming or scuba diving, as well as a metaphorical sense of 'lurking' in online contexts, where someone reads without participating. This word showcases the duality of engaging with environments, both physical and digital.
Strokes19Frequency#5013DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note
In China, diving as a sport is gaining popularity, especially in coastal cities where marine activities thrive. The concept of lurking in online communities reflects a cultural aspect of internet usage, where many people prefer to observe discussions rather than actively participate.
Memory tip
Think of 潜 (qián) as a 'sinking' or 'submerging' action, with the water radical 水 (shuǐ) representing 'water.' Imagine a diver gracefully descending into the sea, embodying both the literal and metaphorical meanings of diving deep into topics without making splashes, similar to a lurker in a forum.
Meanings of 潜水
qiánshuǐ(qian2shui3)
1to dive
2to go under water
Exercise 1 of 2
By ear
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About 潜水
潜水Simplified
潛水Traditional
19Strokes
—Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#5013Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L6HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2
Podcast: 潜水
Podcast: 潜水
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AI study notes for 潜水
Quick Contrast
潜水 (qiánshuǐ) vs 潜藏 (qiáncáng) — choose 潜水 for physical diving contexts, while 潜藏 refers to hiding or concealing something.
Usage Notes
Be mindful of the context when using 潜水; it can be both a physical action and an informal slang term. A common mistake is to use it exclusively for diving in a physical sense, neglecting its online connotation. Additionally, avoid confusing it with related terms like 游泳 (yóu yǒng), which means 'swimming.'
HSK Study Tips
As an HSK 6 word, 潜水 connects to other advanced vocabulary related to water activities and online behavior. Students should focus on understanding the multiple contexts in which this word can be used, particularly in both recreational and internet slang scenarios.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 潜水 with diving activities like scuba diving and forget its slang meaning. For instance, saying '我喜欢潜水论坛' (I like to dive forums) is incorrect; it should be '我喜欢潜水在论坛' to convey lurking appropriately.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 潜水
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Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.
潜水 (qián shuǐ) means 'to dive' or 'to go underwater.' It can refer to both physical diving, like in swimming or scuba diving, as well as a metaphorical sense of 'lurking' in online contexts, where someone reads without participating. This word showcases the duality of engaging with environments, both physical and digital.
When to use 潜水
Be mindful of the context when using 潜水; it can be both a physical action and an informal slang term. A common mistake is to use it exclusively for diving in a physical sense, neglecting its online connotation. Additionally, avoid confusing it with related terms like 游泳 (yóu yǒng), which means 'swimming.'
潜水 or something close to it
潜水 (qiánshuǐ) vs 潜藏 (qiáncáng) — choose 潜水 for physical diving contexts, while 潜藏 refers to hiding or concealing something.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 潜水 with diving activities like scuba diving and forget its slang meaning. For instance, saying '我喜欢潜水论坛' (I like to dive forums) is incorrect; it should be '我喜欢潜水在论坛' to convey lurking appropriately.
Write 潜水
潜
水
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Practice writing 潜水 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar patterns of 潜水
潜水 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 3 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.
Exercise 1 of 4
Fill the gap
Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.
他在北海学会了____员这一行的本事。
He learnt his trade as a diver in the North Sea.
Example sentences for 潜水 (10)
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1
他在北海学会了潜水员这一行的本事。
tā zài běi hǎi xuéhuì le qiánshuǐ yuán zhè yìxíng de běnshi。
