沁

qìn

verb #51,720

Meanings

1 to seep
2 to permeate
3 to ooze through

Characters

沁

qìn

to seep; permeate

Examples

HSK 6

汗水从他额头沁出来。

Hànshuǐ cóng tā étóu qìn chūlái.

Sweat seeped out of his forehead.

HSK 7-9

花的香气沁人心脾。

Huā de xiāngqì qìnrénxīnpí.

The fragrance of the flowers was refreshingly sweet.

Tips

usage

The signature phrase is 沁人心脾 - a scent or feeling so fresh it 'seeps into your heart'. 沁 is liquid or aroma soaking slowly through something, not splashing.

Components

radical

氵 shuǐ

water

Left-side water radical, the three-drop form of 水. The character is about liquid soaking through, so water carries the meaning.

phonetic

心 xīn

heart; (here) sound

Right side 心 gives the sound (qìn shifted from xīn). It also hints at the famous idiom where the scent seeps right into the heart.

Stroke Order

沁 qìn

沁