淹 meaning and stroke order
To flood; to submerge; to drown
How to write 淹, 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 淹
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to flood
- to submerge
- to drown
- to irritate the skin (of liquids)
- to delay
How 淹 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water.
氵 gives the meaning and 奄 hints at the sound.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 淹
The water radical 氵 on the left shows the meaning, and 奄 (yǎn) on the right gives the sound. Picture water 氵 rising over everything until it covers it completely.
淹 (yān) is used for water flooding or covering something, and it appears most often in words like 淹死 (yānsǐ, to drown) and 淹没 (yānmò, to submerge). It can also describe sweat or liquid stinging the skin. Example: 大水淹了村子。(Dà shuǐ yān le cūnzi.) The flood submerged the village.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 淹 (yān) with 腌 (yān, to pickle or salt). They share the sound and the 奄 part, but 腌 has the flesh radical 月 and is about food. Also note that 淹 is first tone, while the phonetic 奄 alone is third tone (yǎn).
Common words with 淹
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
淹 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 淹
How many strokes are in 淹?
淹 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 淹 mean?
淹 (yān) means to flood; to submerge; to drown. A common word with it is 淹死 (yānsǐ), meaning "to drown".
How do you pronounce 淹?
淹 is pronounced yān, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 淹?
The radical of 淹 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 淹 under this radical.
Is 淹 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 淹 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 淹 and 溺 for drowning?
淹死 (yānsǐ) is the everyday spoken way to say someone drowned. 溺 (nì), as in 溺水 (nìshuǐ), is more formal and common in news and safety warnings.
Can 淹 be used figuratively?
Yes. 淹没 (yānmò) is often used for being buried or drowned out, for example 他的声音被掌声淹没了 (tā de shēngyīn bèi zhǎngshēng yānmò le), meaning his voice was drowned out by applause.