泥沼

nízhǎo

noun #22,689

Measure Word

一片泥沼 piàn

Meanings

1 swamp
2 quagmire
3 bog
4 (figurative) a situation one cannot escape from

Characters

marsh / pond / swamp

Examples

HSK 6

战争把整个国家拖入了无尽的泥沼。

Zhànzhēng bǎ zhěnggè guójiā tuō rù le wújìn de nízhǎo.

The war dragged the entire country into an endless quagmire.

HSK 7-9

士兵们在热带雨林的泥沼中艰难前行。

Shìbīng men zài rèdài yǔlín de nízhǎo zhōng jiānnán qiánxíng.

The soldiers struggled to advance through the swamps of the tropical rainforest.

HSK 7-9

他的公司陷入了财务泥沼，难以自拔。

Tā de gōngsī xiànrù le cáiwù nízhǎo, nányǐ zìbá.

His company has fallen into a financial quagmire and cannot pull itself out.

Tips

usage

泥沼 works both literally (a marshy swamp) and figuratively (an inescapable predicament). The figurative use is extremely common: 陷入泥沼 (to sink into a quagmire) is a set phrase used in politics, business, and personal situations.

memory

泥 (mud) + 沼 (marsh/swamp) = muddy swamp. Both characters independently suggest wetland and difficulty - doubly stuck!

Stroke Order

泥 ní

沼 zhǎo