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冲淡 (chōng dàn) — (of liquids) to dilute, to water down; (figurative) to weaken, to play down (an effect, emotion, memory); (literary) to be indifferent to fame or fortune

Definition

Two senses: literally, to dilute a liquid; figuratively, to weaken or soften an effect, emotion, or memory. The third sense (being indifferent to fame/fortune) is literary and rare.

verb
(of liquids) to diluteto water down(figurative) to weakento play down (an effect, emotion, memory)(literary) to be indifferent to fame or fortune

Examples

  • ，冲淡。
    Zhè bēi kā fēi tài nóng le, jiā diǎn shuǐ chōng dàn yí xià.
    This cup of coffee is too strong, add some water to dilute it.
  • 冲淡。
    Shí jiān huì chōng dàn nǐ de tòng kǔ.
    Time will weaken your pain.
  • ，冲淡。
    Tā duì míng lì kàn dé hěn dàn, yǒu yì zhǒng chōng dàn de shēng huó tài dù.
    He is indifferent to fame and fortune, with an attitude of making few demands on life.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

冲chōngrinse
淡dàndilute

Rinsing makes something dilute: 冲 leads to 淡.

Characters in this word

Most 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 衝; 冲 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 冲 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (冲, 冲动) it is 衝; in others (冲) it is 沖.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
行行xíng
Sound part声符shēngfú
重
重zhòng衝chōng
Same sound today

The traditional form 衝 shows 重 inside 行, with 行 as the meaning part and 重 as the sound part; the simplified 冲 is a later shorthand.

Open 冲 →

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
炎
炎yán淡dàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

淡 puts 氵 (water) beside 炎, which gives the sound yán.

Open 淡 →
Appears in
Abstract Concepts

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