澱 meaning and stroke order
Marsh, swamp; sediment; to precipitate
How to write 澱, stroke by stroke
16 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 澱
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to form sediment; to precipitate
How 澱 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water.
氵 gives the meaning and 殿 hints at the sound.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 澱
The water radical 氵 tells you this is about water, and 殿 (diàn, palace hall) gives the sound. Picture muddy water settling slowly on the floor of a grand hall, leaving a layer of sediment.
澱 is the traditional form, used in Taiwan and Hong Kong. In mainland China the simplified form 淀 is used, as in 沉淀 (chéndiàn, to settle; sediment) and 淀粉 (diànfěn, starch). Example: 水裡的泥沙慢慢沉澱了。(Shuǐ lǐ de níshā mànmàn chéndiàn le.) The sand in the water slowly settled.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes read 澱 as diān or diǎn because of similar sounding words. It is fourth tone, diàn, the same as 殿. Also do not confuse it with 殿 itself, which has no water radical and means a palace hall.
Common words with 澱
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
Questions about 澱
How many strokes are in 澱?
澱 is written with 16 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 澱 mean?
澱 (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 澱?
澱 is pronounced diàn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 澱?
The radical of 澱 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 澱 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 澱?
澱 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 淀, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What does 積澱 (jīdiàn) mean in everyday writing?
Literally it means deposits built up over a long time. Figuratively it describes accumulated culture, experience or wisdom, as in 文化積澱 (wénhuà jīdiàn), cultural heritage built up over centuries.
Why does the word for starch, 澱粉 (diànfěn), use this character?
Starch can be made by letting a mixture of crushed plant material and water stand until the fine powder settles out as sediment. So the name combines 澱 (sediment) and 粉 (fěn, powder).