沉沉

chénchén

adjective #36,742

Meanings

1 heavy; weighty
2 deep; profound (of sleep, night, mood)
3 gloomy; oppressive

Characters

Examples

他背着沉沉的行李上路了。

Tā bēizhe chénchén de xíngli shànglù le.

He set off carrying his heavy luggage.

孩子在妈妈怀里沉沉睡去。

Háizi zài māma huái lǐ chénchén shuìqù.

The child fell into a deep sleep in his mother's arms.

夜色沉沉，万籁俱寂。

Yèsè chénchén, wànlài jùjì.

The night was deep, and not a sound could be heard.

Tips

usage

Reduplicated descriptive — adds atmosphere. Common collocations: 沉沉的夜 (deep night), 沉沉睡去 (fall into deep sleep), 暮气沉沉 (mùqì chénchén, depressingly listless), 死气沉沉 (sǐqì chénchén, dead-and-lifeless).

register

Literary/descriptive. You'll meet it in essays and fiction more than in conversation.

Stroke Order

沉 chén