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

HSK 6

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.

HSK 7-9

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.

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