潛 meaning and stroke order
To hide; secret, latent, hidden
How to write 潛, stroke by stroke
15 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 潛
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- hidden
- secret
- latent
- to hide
- to conceal
- to submerge
How 潛 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water.
氵 gives the meaning and 朁 hints at the sound.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 潛
潛 is a pictophonetic character: the water radical 氵 gives the meaning and 朁 (cǎn) hints at the sound. Picture something slipping under the water 氵 where no one can see it, so it is hidden.
潛 appears mostly in compound words about diving underwater or about things that are hidden but present, like potential. A common example is 他很有潜力。(Tā hěn yǒu qiánlì.) He has a lot of potential. Note that the common words are usually written in the simplified form 潜.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 潛 with 替 (tì, to replace) or 簪 (zān, hairpin), because the right side 朁 contains a similar 兟 or 夫夫 shape over 日. Also remember the tone is second tone qián, the same as 钱 (qián, money), not third tone.
Common words with 潛
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 潛力 | qiánlì | potential; latent capacity | HSK 6 |
| 潛艇 | qiántǐng | a submarine | HSK 7-9 |
| 潛水 | qiánshuǐ | to dive; to go under water | HSK 7-9 |
| 潛在 | qiánzài | hidden; potential | HSK 7-9 |
| 潛能 | qiánnéng | potential; hidden capability | HSK 7-9 |
| 潛移默化 | qiányí-mòhuà | imperceptible influence; to influence secretly | HSK 7-9 |
| 潛入 | qiánrù | to submerge; to infiltrate | |
| 潛水艇 | qiánshuǐtǐng | a submarine | |
| 潛意識 | qiányìshí | unconscious mind; subconscious mind | |
| 潛伏 | qiánfú | to hide; to cover up | |
| 潛水員 | qiánshuǐyuán | diver; frogman | |
| 潛逃 | qiántáo | to abscond; to slink off | |
| 潛質 | qiánzhì | potential | |
| 潛望鏡 | qiánwàngjìng | periscope |
Questions about 潛
How many strokes are in 潛?
潛 is written with 15 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 潛 mean?
潛 (qián) means to hide; secret, latent, hidden. A common word with it is 潜力 (qiánlì), meaning "potential; latent capacity".
How do you pronounce 潛?
潛 is pronounced qián, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 潛?
The radical of 潛 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 潛 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 潛?
潛 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 潜, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 潜水 and 游泳?
游泳 (yóuyǒng) means to swim in general. 潜水 (qiánshuǐ) specifically means to dive or go under the water, such as scuba diving. Online, 潜水 is also slang for lurking in a chat group without posting.
Are 潜力 and 潜能 the same?
They are very close and both mean hidden potential. 潜力 (qiánlì) is more common in everyday speech, while 潜能 (qiánnéng) often sounds a bit more formal or refers to latent abilities inside a person.