淌 meaning and stroke order
To drip; to trickle; to shed (tears)
How to write 淌, 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.
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Meaning of 淌
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to drip
- to trickle
- to shed (tears)
How 淌 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water.
氵 gives the meaning and 尚 hints at the sound.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 淌
The water radical 氵 tells you this is about liquid, and 尚 (shàng) gives the sound. Picture water trickling down past the roof shape at the top of 尚, dripping drop by drop.
淌 describes liquid flowing or dripping steadily, often sweat, tears, blood, or a river. It is common in the phrases 淌眼泪 (tǎng yǎnlèi, to shed tears) and 淌汗 (tǎng hàn, to drip with sweat), and in the more literary word 流淌 (liútǎng). Example: 他累得直淌汗。(Tā lèi de zhí tǎng hàn.) He was so tired he kept dripping with sweat.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 淌 (tǎng) with 躺 (tǎng, to lie down) because they share the sound and the 尚 part. Remember that 躺 has 身 (body) for lying down, while 淌 has 氵 for water.
Common words with 淌
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 流淌 | liútǎng | to flow | HSK 7-9 |
Questions about 淌
How many strokes are in 淌?
淌 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 淌 mean?
淌 (tǎng) means to drip; to trickle; to shed (tears). A common word with it is 流淌 (liútǎng), meaning "to flow".
How do you pronounce 淌?
淌 is pronounced tǎng, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 淌?
The radical of 淌 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 淌 under this radical.
Is 淌 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 淌 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 淌 and 流?
流 (liú) is the general word for flow and works in almost any context. 淌 suggests liquid running or dripping down steadily, especially tears, sweat, or blood, and sounds more vivid.
Is 淌 used in spoken Chinese?
Yes, especially in phrases like 淌眼泪, 淌汗, and 淌鼻涕 (tǎng bítì, to have a runny nose). The compound 流淌 is more common in writing, such as describing rivers or music.