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淌 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
Hanzi
Pinyin
English
Tags
淌
tǎng
to trickle down, to flow, to drip; to shed tears
HSK 7, v, 11 strokes, radical 氵, rank #17223, Very Hard
淌
tǎng
to trickle
HSK 7, unknown, 11 strokes, radical 氵, rank #17223, Very Hard
淌
tǎng
to shed (tears)
HSK 7, unknown, 11 strokes, radical 氵, rank #17223, Very Hard
tǎng(tang3)tang T3
1to trickle down, to flow, to drip; to shed tears
2to trickle
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March 24, 2026
淌tǎng(tang3)
The verb 淌 (tǎng) means 'to trickle down' or 'to flow,' often used in the context of liquids dripping or flowing in a steady stream. It can also refer to the shedding of tears, implying an emotional state. This word is commonly used to describe both physical movements of water and emotional expressions such as crying.
Strokes11Radical氵Frequency#17223DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note
In Chinese culture, the act of crying is often seen as an emotional release, and the imagery of tears flowing like water is prevalent in poetry and literature. This connection emphasizes the importance of expressing feelings openly, which can be culturally different from more stoic expressions in some Western contexts.
Memory tip
Imagine a river (水, shuǐ) trickling down a mountain. The character 淌 combines the water radical (氵) on the left, indicating its relation to liquids, and the phonetic part (堂, táng) that sounds like 'tǎng.' Picture a mountain with tears flowing down like a stream to remember the meanings of both water and emotion.
Meanings of 淌
tǎng(tang3)
1to trickle down, to flow, to drip; to shed tears
2to trickle
Exercise 1 of 2
By ear
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About 淌
淌Simplified
11Strokes
氵Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2
Podcast: 淌
Podcast: 淌
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AI Study Notes for 淌
Quick Contrast
流 (liú, to flow) - use 流 for a more general sense of flowing without the implication of trickling or dripping.
Usage Notes
Be careful not to confuse 淌 with other similar verbs like 流 (liú), which also means 'to flow' but is more general. This word is informal and commonly used in everyday conversation. Common collocations include 淌眼泪 (tǎng yǎnlèi, to shed tears) and 淌水 (tǎng shuǐ, water flowing).
HSK Study Tips
While 淌 is not officially included in HSK levels, it shares roots with other water-related vocabulary, such as 流 (liú) and 泪 (lèi). Students should focus on its emotional connotation alongside its physical meaning, as this duality is key to understanding its usage.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 淌 with 流, using it incorrectly in contexts where general flowing is meant. For example, saying '水淌得很快' (The water flows very quickly) instead of '水流得很快' (correctly using 流).
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 淌
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淌 = 氵 + 尚. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 淌
IDS Structure⿰氵尚
淌Full character
=
氵shui3
left
尚Shang4
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Parts
Which of these is part of 淌?
How to say to trickle down, to flow, to drip; to shed tears in Chinese
“to trickle down, to flow, to drip; to shed tears” in Chinese is淌tǎng
The verb 淌 (tǎng) means 'to trickle down' or 'to flow,' often used in the context of liquids dripping or flowing in a steady stream. It can also refer to the shedding of tears, implying an emotional state. This word is commonly used to describe both physical movements of water and emotional expressions such as crying.
When to use 淌
Be careful not to confuse 淌 with other similar verbs like 流 (liú), which also means 'to flow' but is more general. This word is informal and commonly used in everyday conversation. Common collocations include 淌眼泪 (tǎng yǎnlèi, to shed tears) and 淌水 (tǎng shuǐ, water flowing).
淌 or something close to it
流 (liú, to flow) - use 流 for a more general sense of flowing without the implication of trickling or dripping.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 淌 with 流, using it incorrectly in contexts where general flowing is meant. For example, saying '水淌得很快' (The water flows very quickly) instead of '水流得很快' (correctly using 流).
Write 淌
淌
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Grammar Patterns of 淌
淌 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 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 5
Fill the gap
Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.
汗水顺着她那张典型的德国人的脸往下____。
There was sweat pouring over her Teutonic face.
Example Sentences for 淌 (10)
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1
汗水顺着她那张典型的德国人的脸往下淌。
hànshuǐ shùnzhe tā nà zhāng diǎnxíng de dé guó rén de liǎn wǎng xià tǎng。
There was sweat pouring over her Teutonic face.
2
狗嘴里淌着口水。
gǒu zuǐ lǐ tǎng zhe kǒushuǐ。
The dog was drooling at the mouth .
3
河水淌得很慢.
hé shuǐ tǎng de hěn màn.
The river was running very slowly.
4
他很着急,汗水沿着他的面颊直淌下来.
tā hěn zháojí, hànshuǐ yánzhe tā de miàn jiá zhí tǎng xiàlái.
He was so worried that sweat began to pour down his face.
5
卢浑身淌汗。
lú húnshēn tǎng hàn。
Lou was dripping with perspiration.
6
他额上在淌汗.
tā é shàng zài tǎng hàn.
His forehead was dripping with perspiration.
7
汗从我背上淌下来.
hàn cóng wǒ bēi shàng tǎng xiàlái.
The perspiration was running down my back.
8
他突然从头到脚都湿淋淋地淌着汗.
tā tūrán cóngtóu dào jiǎo dōu shī lín lín dì tǎng zhe hàn.
Sweat suddenly drenched him from head to toe.
9
牧童牵着牛淌过浅溪.
mù tóng qiān zhe niú tǎng guò jiān xī.
The cowboy splashed his way across the shallow stream with his cow.
10
她又看瑞珏, 瑞珏 正牵着孩子的手在那里淌眼泪.
tā yòu kàn ruì jué, ruì jué zhèng qiān zhe háizi de shǒu zài nàlǐ tǎng yǎnlèi.
She looked at Jui - chueh, holding Hai - chen's hand and weeping.
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Word Family of 淌
Words containing this character3
流淌liútǎngto flow
淌tǎngto drip
淌口水to slobber
Exercise 1 of 2
Words with 淌
What does 流淌 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 淌
淌 (tǎng) specifically suggests a trickling or dripping motion, often associated with tears, while 流 (liú) refers to a broader sense of flowing.
Yes, you can use 淌 to describe tears or even metaphorically for emotions, but it primarily relates to the movement of liquids.
淌 is typically more informal and used in spoken language rather than formal writing.
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