潋 (liàn): brimming with water; rippling

Meanings

1 brimming with water; rippling
2 water's edge

Characters

潋

liàn

rippling water

Examples

HSK 4

水光潋滟晴方好。

Shuǐ guāng liànyàn qíng fāng hǎo.

The shimmering water of the lake is lovely in clear weather.

HSK 7-9

湖水潋滟，一望无际。

Húshuǐ liànyàn, yīwàngwújì.

The lake water rippled and stretched to the horizon.

Tips

usage

潋 almost always appears in the literary pair 潋滟, describing water that brims and glitters with light. The phrase is fixed in memory by 苏轼's West Lake line 水光潋滟晴方好.

Components

radical

氵 shuǐ

water

The three-drop water radical, the left-side form of 水. It marks 潋 as a water word, the family that includes 河 (river) and 海 (sea).

phonetic

敛 liǎn

to gather (phonetic)

Supplies the sound. Standalone 敛 means to gather or restrain; here it only points to the near-identical liàn reading and carries no meaning into 潋.

Stroke Order

潋 liàn

the water shimmers rippling - in sunlight it is just right / the West Lake is glorious in clear weather / opening line of Su Shi's praise of the West Lake

凉水 liángshuǐ HSK 3 #30,123

cold water; cool water / unboiled water

冲 chōng HSK 4 #809

(of water) to dash against / to mix with water; to infuse / to rinse; to flush / to develop (film) / to rise (in the air) / to clash; to collide

热水 rèshuǐ HSK 6 #7,080

hot water; boiled water

水面 shuǐmiàn HSK 7-9 #7,805

water surface / surface of the water

莲 lián #7,901

lotus / water lily

流水 liúshuǐ HSK 7-9 #10,916

flowing water / running water / turnover (business)

捞 lāo HSK 7-9 #6,006

to scoop up from water; to fish out / to grab; to get (profit, benefit)

井 jǐng HSK 6 #4,177

well (for water) / mine shaft; pit

边上 biānshang #3,999

side / edge / nearby / next to

潋