沉 meaning and stroke order
To submerge; to immerse; to sink
How to write 沉, stroke by stroke
7 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
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- 4
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- 7
Meaning of 沉
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to submerge
- to immerse
- to sink
- to keep down
- to lower
- to drop
How 沉 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. An excessive 冗 amount of water 氵.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 沉
沉 (chén) is water 氵 next to 冗 (rǒng), which means excessive or too much. With too much water, things go under and sink.
On its own, 沉 often describes things sinking or feeling heavy, as in 船沉了 (chuán chén le), the boat sank. It also appears in many words about deep or heavy states of mind, like 沉默 (chénmò) silent and 沉思 (chénsī) to ponder.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 沉 with 沈 (shěn), which is mainly a surname in simplified Chinese, or miswrite the right side as 几 without the top cover 冖. Also note that in 沉着 (chénzhuó) the 着 is read zhuó, not zhe.
Common words with 沉
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 沉默 | chénmò | taciturn; uncommunicative | HSK 4 |
| 沉重 | chénzhòng | heavy; hard | HSK 4 |
| 沉浸 | chénjìn | to soak; to permeate | HSK 7-9 |
| 沉迷 | chénmí | to be engrossed; to be absorbed with | HSK 7-9 |
| 消沉 | xiāochén | to sink into despondency; (of morale, willpower etc) to diminish; to plummet | HSK 7-9 |
| 沉闷 | chénmèn | oppressive (of weather); heavy | HSK 7-9 |
| 沉思 | chénsī | to contemplate; to ponder | HSK 7-9 |
| 沉着 | chénzhuó | steady; calm and collected | HSK 7-9 |
| 沉淀 | chéndiàn | (chemistry) to settle; to precipitate; (chemistry) sediment; precipitate | HSK 7-9 |
| 沉稳 | chénwěn | steady; calm | HSK 7-9 |
| 沉甸甸 | chéndiàndiàn | heavy | HSK 7-9 |
| 沉睡 | chénshuì | to be fast asleep; (fig.) to lie dormant; to lie undiscovered | |
| 下沉 | xiàchén | to sink down | |
| 沉没 | chénmò | to sink |
沉 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 沉
How many strokes are in 沉?
沉 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 沉 mean?
沉 (chén) means to submerge; to immerse; to sink. A common word with it is 沉默 (chénmò), meaning "taciturn; uncommunicative".
How do you pronounce 沉?
沉 is pronounced chén, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 沉?
The radical of 沉 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 沉 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 沉?
The traditional form of 沉 is 沈. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 沉 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 沉 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 沉 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
Can 沉 describe weight or heaviness, not just sinking?
Yes. In everyday speech 这个箱子很沉 (zhège xiāngzi hěn chén) means this box is very heavy. This use is common in northern Mandarin.
What is the difference between 沉迷 and 沉浸?
沉迷 (chénmí) suggests being hooked on something, often in a negative way, like games. 沉浸 (chénjìn) is more neutral or positive, meaning to be immersed in something such as music or happiness.