冲 (chōng): (of water) to dash against

Meanings

1 (of water) to dash against
2 to mix with water; to infuse
3 to rinse; to flush
4 to develop (film)
5 to rise (in the air)
6 to clash; to collide

Characters

冲

chōng

to rinse; to charge; to clash

Examples

请帮我冲一杯咖啡。

Qǐng bāng wǒ chōng yì bēi kāfēi.

Please make me a cup of coffee.

大雨把路上的泥土冲走了。

Dàyǔ bǎ lùshang de nítǔ chōngzǒu le.

The heavy rain washed away the dirt on the road.

他冲了个澡就出门了。

Tā chōng le gè zǎo jiù chūmén le.

He took a quick shower and went out.

Tips

usage

Simplified 冲 merges two traditional characters: 沖 (water-related: rinse, brew, flush, dilute) and 衝 (motion-related: charge, rush, clash). Both are chōng here; the chòng reading is a separate entry. Everyday senses include 冲茶 (brew tea), 冲澡 (shower), 冲过去 (rush over).

mistakes

Two readings: chōng (the main verb, used in 冲洗, 冲突, 冲锋) and chòng (force/attitude sense, almost exclusive to 冲劲 and 冲着). Default to chōng unless the word is on the chòng list.

Components

radical

冫 bīng

ice (radical form)

Two-drop ice radical, used here as a simplified stand-in for water — the traditional 沖 has 氵 (water in left-side form), which fits rinsing, brewing and flushing. The merged simplified glyph also absorbs traditional 衝, whose radical was 行 (go/walk) — that motion sense survives in the chòng reading and in compounds like 冲锋.

phonetic

中 zhōng

middle; centre

Phonetic: 中 → 冲 (regular initial shift). 中 pictures a banner pole through a target's centre, leaving a faint thrust/penetration flavour that suits both 'to dash' and 'to charge'. Same phonetic in 忠 (loyal), 钟 (bell), 种 (kind).