日渐 (rì jiàn) — gradually (formal, literary; often implies day-…

Definition

Literary adverb meaning 'day by day, gradually' — emphasizes slow change over time. More formal and written than 渐渐.

adverb

gradually (formal, literary; often implies day-by-day progression)

日渐。
Tā de jiàn kāng zhuàng kuàng rì jiàn hǎo zhuǎn.
His health condition is gradually improving.
日渐。
Liǎng guó guān xì rì jiàn mì qiè.
The relations between the two countries are becoming increasingly close.
，日渐。
Suí zhe kē jì fā zhǎn, rén men de shēng huó rì jiàn biàn lì.
With technological development, people's lives are becoming increasingly convenient.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

渐jiàngradually

日渐 builds 'gradually' from 日 'day' and 渐 'gradually', suggesting day by day.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

日 originally drew the sun. A mark was added inside to tell it apart from similar square shapes.

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 漸; 渐 is its simplified writing.

氵斬漸

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

斬

斬zhǎn漸jiàn

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

The traditional form 漸 pairs 氵, a water part, with 斬, which gives the sound; the simplified 渐 is a later shorthand.

Appears in