苒 (rǎn) · (of plants) lush, luxuriant

Meanings

1 (of plants) lush, luxuriant
2 (of time) gradually passing

Characters

苒

rǎn

luxuriant; (of time) passing

Examples

HSK 6

河岸上的草长得苒苒。

Hé'àn shàng de cǎo zhǎng de rǎnrǎn.

The grass on the riverbank grew lush and green.

HSK 7-9

光阴荏苒，岁月悄悄流逝。

Guāngyīn rěnrǎn, suìyuè qiāoqiāo liúshì.

"Time slips quietly by" - the years pass without our noticing.

Tips

usage

苒 is mostly seen in 荏苒, a literary phrase for time slipping away unnoticed, as in 光阴荏苒.

Components

radical

艹 cǎo

grass; plant

艹 is the grass radical. The original sense of 苒 was lush, growing grass; the "time passing" sense grew out of that image of steady growth.

phonetic

冉 rǎn

slowly; gradually

冉 gives the exact sound rǎn and also reinforces the meaning, since 冉 itself suggests something moving slowly and gradually.

Stroke Order

苒 rǎn

Related Words

光阴荏苒 guāngyīn-rěnrǎn

time slipping quietly by / the years drift on / how imperceptibly time passes

计时 jìshí #5,160

to time / to keep time / to reckon by time

此时 cǐshí HSK 5 #5,181

now; at this moment; at this time / at that time (in narrative)

当 dāng HSK 4 #146

to be; to act as; to serve as / to manage; to take charge of / to withstand; to bear; to face / when; while; at the time of / ought to; should / to match; equal to / just at (a time or place); on the spot

创 chuàng HSK 7-9 #4,905

to create; to initiate; to found / to achieve (sth for the first time); to set (a record)

共度 gòngdù #4,741

to spend (time) together / to go through together

从前 cóngqián HSK 5 #4,659

formerly / once upon a time / in the past

菲 fēi #3,988

abbreviation for the Philippines / luxuriant; fragrant (of vegetation) / phenanthrene (chemistry)

从不 cóngbù HSK 5 #3,912

never / at no time

穿越 chuānyuè HSK 7-9 #3,767

to cross / to traverse / to pass through / time travel