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深陷 (shēn xiàn) — to be deeply in (trouble, debt, etc.); to be mired in; (of eyes) deep-set; sunken

Definition

A fairly written verb meaning 'to be mired in' a bad state (debt, crisis, war) or, of eyes, 'deep-set/sunken'. The figurative sense is closer in tone to 陷入 than to casual verbs like 碰上.

verb
to be deeply in (trouble, debt, etc.)to be mired in(of eyes) deep-setsunken

Examples

  • 深陷。
    Tā shēn xiàn yú zhài wù zhī zhōng.
    He is deeply in debt.
  • 深陷。
    Nà wèi lǎo rén shēn xiàn de yǎn jing ràng rén yìn xiàng shēn kè.
    That old man's deep-set eyes are very impressive.
  • 深陷。
    Gōng sī shēn xiàn cái wù wēi jī.
    The company is mired in a financial crisis.

Origin

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.

深shēndeep
陷xiànsink

深 means deep or deeply, and 陷 means to sink or be mired; together they describe being deeply caught in something.

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
𥥍
𥥍𥥍深shēn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

深 is built from 氵, the side form of 水 “water”, and 𥥍, which supplies the sound.

Open 深 →

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
阜阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
臽
臽xiàn陷xiàn
Same sound today

In 陷, the older form 臽 pictured falling into a trap; 阜 was added later to differentiate it.

Open 陷 →
Appears in
Abstract Concepts

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