滲 meaning and stroke order
To seep, to permeate, to infiltrate
How to write 滲, stroke by stroke
14 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 滲
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to seep
- to ooze
- to horrify
How 滲 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water.
氵 gives the meaning and 參 hints at the sound.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 滲
滲 is built from the water radical 氵 plus 參, which gives the sound. Picture water 氵 slowly working its way into something, seeping through bit by bit.
滲 (simplified 渗) usually appears in compounds like 渗透 (shèntòu) and 渗入 (shènrù), used both for liquids soaking in and for ideas or influence spreading. Example: 雨水渗进了墙里。(Yǔshuǐ shèn jìn le qiáng lǐ.) Rainwater seeped into the wall.
Common mistake: Learners often read 滲 as cān or shēn because of the phonetic 參, but here it is fourth tone shèn. Also do not confuse it with 渗's look-alike 惨 (cǎn, miserable), which has the heart radical 忄 instead of water.
Common words with 滲
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 滲透 | shèntòu | (lit. and fig.) to permeate; to seep into | HSK 7-9 |
| 滲入 | shènrù | to permeate |
Questions about 滲
How many strokes are in 滲?
滲 is written with 14 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 滲 mean?
滲 (shèn) means to seep, to permeate, to infiltrate. A common word with it is 渗透 (shèntòu), meaning "(lit. and fig.) to permeate; to seep into".
How do you pronounce 滲?
滲 is pronounced shèn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 滲?
The radical of 滲 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 滲 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 滲?
滲 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 渗, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What does 渗透 mean when it is not about water?
渗透 (shèntòu) can mean infiltration or gradual influence, such as ideas spreading through a culture or spies infiltrating an organization. It is common in news and formal writing.
Why does 滲 also mean to horrify?
This sense appears in the word 渗人 (shènrén), meaning creepy or chilling, as if fear seeps into you. It is informal and often written as 瘆人 (shènrén).