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蜃

shèn
noun

Meanings

  1. 1 giant clam
  2. 2 clam-monster said to breathe out mirages (mythology)

Examples

海面上出现的是海市蜃楼，并非真城。
Hǎimiàn shàng chūxiàn de shì hǎishìshènlóu, bìngfēi zhēn chéng.
What appeared over the sea was a mirage, not a real city.
传说大蜃吐气，化出虚幻的楼台。
Chuánshuō dà shèn tǔ qì, huà chū xūhuàn de lóutái.
Legend says the giant clam-monster exhales a vapor that forms phantom towers.

Tips

culture
蜃 is a giant clam, and in myth a clam-monster whose breath forms illusory buildings. This gives the famous 海市蜃楼 (mirage, literally "sea-market clam-tower").

Components

radical
虫 chóng
insect; small creature
Bottom-right 虫 is the radical for small creatures, covering shellfish and molluscs, here the giant clam 蜃.
phonetic
辰 chén
5th earthly branch (here phonetic)
Top-left 辰 is the phonetic element; the sound shifted from chén to shèn. It wraps over the top and left.

Stroke Order

蜃 shèn