沧 (cāng) — blue-green; azure
Definition
沧 is a bound form meaning 'blue-green / vast' — it only appears in set phrases like 沧海 (vast sea) and 沧桑 (vicissitudes of life), never as a standalone word.
bound form
blue-greenazure
Easily confused
- 呛qiànglook-aliketo irritate the nose, to choke (of smoke, fumes, or strong smell)
- 舱cāngsound-alike(noun) cabin (passenger compartment on a ship or airplane)
- 枪qiānglook-alikegun, firearm, rifle
- 仓cāngsound-alike(bound form) storehouse; warehouse
- 抢qiǎnglook-aliketo grab, to snatch (physically)
- 苍cāngsound-alike(bound form) dark green, blue, gray, or ashy (in literary compounds)
Examples
- ，。cāng Hǎi sāng tián, shì shì biàn huà hěn dà.Time brings great changes to the world.
- ，。Zhè wèi lǎo rén lì jīng cāng sāng, jiàn duō shí guǎng.This elderly person has gone through many vicissitudes and is very knowledgeable.
- 。Gè rén zài lì shǐ zhōng jiù xiàng cāng hǎi yí sù.An individual in history is like a drop in the ocean.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 滄; 沧 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
倉
倉cāng滄cāng
Same sound today
The traditional form 滄 has 氵, a water sign, beside 倉, which gives the sound; the simplified 沧 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the old 倉.
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