澄 (chéng) — to settle (of sediment or liquid); to become clear

Definition

Used mainly in written Chinese to describe liquid becoming clear as sediment sinks to the bottom — more literary than the everyday verb 沉淀 (chéndiàn).

verb
to settle (of sediment or liquid)to become clear
Easily confused

Examples

  • 。
    Hé shuǐ màn màn dì chéng qīng le.
    The river water gradually became clear after the sediment settled.
  • ，澄。
    Bǎ jiǔ dào jìn píng lǐ, děng zá zhì chéng xià qù zài hē.
    Pour the wine into the bottle, wait for the impurities to settle, then drink.
  • ，澄。
    Jīng guò yí yè, bēi zhōng de ní shā dōu chéng xià lái le.
    After one night, all the sand in the cup settled down.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
登
登dēng澄⁰chéng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

澄 pairs 氵 (water) with 登, which gives the sound; the shape is for clear water.

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.