Nihongo

Kanji Detail of 浸

浸

Level:N1 Mid
Strokes:10
Stroke Order
Related Words
AI Explanation
Basic Meaning

The kanji 浸 primarily conveys the idea of "soaking," "immersing," "drenching," or "permeating." It suggests the action of something entering or spreading through something else, often involving liquid. It implies a gradual process, where something becomes saturated or affected by something else.

Readings

・On-yomi (音読み): シン (shin) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): 浸(ひた)す (hitasu - to soak, to immerse), 浸(ひた)る (hitaru - to be soaked, to be immersed)

Usage Examples

⚫︎ 水に浸(浸)す Translation: To soak in water ⚫︎ 涙(なみだ)が顔に浸(浸)みる Translation: Tears soak into the face. ⚫︎ 文化に浸(浸)る Translation: To be immersed in a culture.

Origin and Formation

The kanji 浸 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字, けいせいもじ). ⚫︎ The semantic component is 氵 or 水 (the water radical, representing water). ⚫︎ The phonetic component is 侵 (shin), which provides the sound and originally related to the idea of "invading" or "entering". The combination suggests the idea of water entering or permeating something. The character's historical development shows a gradual refinement in its form, but it has consistently reflected the concept of liquid penetrating or saturating an object or area.

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