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渗透 (shèn tòu) — to seep, to permeate (of liquids); to infiltrate, to penetrate (of ideas, products, hostile forces); (chemistry) to undergo osmosis; osmosis

Definition

渗透 covers both the physical sense ('seep, permeate') and the figurative one ('infiltrate, penetrate' ideas or hostile forces). 浸 is soaking/immersing (often emotional); 渗 is just the verb for seeping; 贯穿 emphasizes running all the way through.

verb
to seepto permeate (of liquids)to infiltrateto penetrate (of ideas, products, hostile forces)(chemistry) to undergo osmosisosmosis

Examples

  • 渗透。
    Yǔ shuǐ màn màn shèn tòu jìn tǔ rǎng lǐ.
    Rainwater slowly seeps into the soil.
  • 渗透。
    Zhè zhǒng wén huà zhèng zài shèn tòu dào nián qīng rén de shēng huó zhōng.
    This culture is permeating into the lives of young people.
  • 渗透。
    Shuǐ tōng guò bàn tòu mó shèn tòu dào lìng yì biān.
    Water permeates through the semipermeable membrane to the other side.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

渗shènseep
透tòuthrough

'渗' and '透' combine as seeping through, giving permeation.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 渗 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辵辵chuòwalking
Sound part声符shēngfú
秀
秀xiù透tòu
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape 透 has 辵, a walking part, and 秀, which provides the sound.

Open 透 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Abstract ConceptsPhysics & Chemistry

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