沾满 (zhān mǎn) — to be covered in, to be stained with (mud, dust, sweat, blood, etc.)

Definition

A vivid, resultative verb meaning 'covered/stained all over' — emphasizes the COMPLETE coating of surface by a messy substance (mud, blood, sweat). Common in descriptive narrative writing.

verb
to be covered into be stained with (mud, dust, sweat, blood, etc.)

Examples

  • 沾满。
    Tā de yī fu zhān mǎn le ní bā.
    His clothes are covered in mud.
  • ，沾满。
    Zhàn chǎng shàng, shì bīng men de liǎn shàng zhān mǎn le chén tǔ hé xuè jì.
    On the battlefield, the soldiers' faces were covered in dust and bloodstains.
  • 沾满，。
    Gōng rén zhān mǎn le hàn shuǐ, zhōng yú wán chéng le gōng zuò.
    The worker was drenched in sweat and finally finished the job.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

沾zhāntouch/stain
满mǎnfull

沾 means to touch or stain, and 满 gives the result of being completely covered.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
占
占zhàn沾zhān
Same sound today

The left part 水 is water, so the shape fits meanings like moisten and soak; the right part 占 gives the sound.

Open 沾 →

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 滿; 满 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
㒼
㒼㒼滿mǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 滿 pairs 水, showing water, with 㒼, giving the sound. The simplified 满 is a later shorthand, not the original shape.

Open 满 →

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