渲 (xuàn): to apply a wash of ink or color…

Meanings

1 to apply a wash of ink or color (in painting)

Characters

渲

xuàn

to apply a color wash

Examples

画家用淡墨渲染远山。

Huàjiā yòng dànmò xuànrǎn yuǎnshān.

The painter used light ink washes to set off the distant mountains.

这部小说过分渲染了紧张气氛。

Zhè bù xiǎoshuō guòfèn xuànrǎn le jǐnzhāng qìfēn.

The novel exaggerates the tense atmosphere too much.

Tips

usage

Names a painting technique of layering thin washes. It is almost always used in 渲染 ('to render; to play up'), which also means to exaggerate or dramatize something.

Components

radical

氵 shuǐ

water (radical form)

The three-drop water radical, the left form of 水. A wash means diluting ink with water and brushing it on, so the water radical fits the technique.

phonetic

宣 xuān

to declare; spread; phonetic

Supplies the sound; xuān shifts to xuàn. Its 'spread out' sense loosely echoes spreading color across paper. Same phonetic in 喧.

Stroke Order

渲 xuàn

Related Words

渲染 xuànrǎn #24,879

to render (computing/art) / to add washes of color or ink (Chinese painting) / to exaggerate / to embellish

国画 guóhuà HSK 7-9

traditional Chinese painting / Chinese ink painting

抹 mǒ HSK 7-9 #3,923

to smear; to apply (cream, paint, ointment) / to wipe across; to swipe / to erase; to cross out; to blot out / classifier for wisps of cloud, beams of light, a touch of color

彩 cǎi #4,791

color; colorful / applause; prize

薄 báo HSK 4 #5,281

thin (of flat objects: paper, fabric, slices) / light; weak (of flavor, color, density) / cold; indifferent (of manner)

金色 jīnsè #5,346

gold (color) / golden

化妆 huàzhuāng HSK 7-9 #3,538

to put on makeup / to apply cosmetics

黄色 huángsè HSK 2 #3,285

yellow (color)

灰 huī HSK 7-9 #3,279

ash; dust / gray (color) / discouraged; disheartened

脸色 liǎnsè HSK 5 #5,581

complexion; facial color / look (on one's face); facial expression