淀 meaning and stroke order
Marsh, swamp; sediment; to precipitate
How to write 淀, stroke by stroke
11 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
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
Meaning of 淀
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) shallow lake (usu. in place names)
- to form sediment; to precipitate
How 淀 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water.
氵 gives the meaning and 定 hints at the sound.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 淀
Water 氵 that has become settled 定 (dìng) is still water where dirt sinks to the bottom. Think of a calm, shallow lake where sediment settles, and 定 also hints at the sound diàn.
淀 rarely stands alone and mostly appears in words like 沉淀 (chéndiàn, to settle; sediment), 淀粉 (diànfěn, starch) and 积淀 (jīdiàn, long accumulation). It also appears in place names for shallow lakes, such as 白洋淀 (Báiyángdiàn) in Hebei. Example: 土豆里有很多淀粉。(Tǔdòu lǐ yǒu hěn duō diànfěn.) Potatoes contain a lot of starch.
Common mistake: Learners often read 淀 as dìng because of the phonetic part 定, but the correct reading is diàn with a fourth tone. Do not confuse it with 碇 (dìng, anchor stone) or 锭 (dìng, ingot), which share 定 but keep the dìng sound.
Common words with 淀
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
Questions about 淀
How many strokes are in 淀?
淀 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 淀 mean?
淀 (diàn) means marsh, swamp; sediment; to precipitate. A common word with it is 沉淀 (chéndiàn), meaning "(chemistry) to settle; to precipitate; (chemistry) sediment; precipitate".
How do you pronounce 淀?
淀 is pronounced diàn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 淀?
The radical of 淀 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 淀 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 淀?
The traditional form of 淀 is 澱. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 淀 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 淀 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 淀 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Can 沉淀 be used figuratively?
Yes. 沉淀 can mean letting thoughts or emotions settle over time, as in 让心情沉淀一下 (ràng xīnqíng chéndiàn yíxià), let your feelings settle a bit. 积淀 is used similarly for accumulated culture or experience.
Why is there a district in Beijing called 海淀?
海淀 (Hǎidiàn) uses 淀 in its place name sense of a shallow lake or marsh. The area historically had many shallow lakes and wetlands, which is where the name comes from.