渐 (jiān) — to dip/soak (in liquid); bound form used in literary compounds
Definition
Bound morph meaning 'to soak / dip / steep' — it never stands alone and only appears inside literary compounds like 渐染, 渐渍, 渐浸. Pronounced jiān, not the more common jiàn ('gradually').
bound form
to dip/soak (in liquid)bound form used in literary compounds
Easily confused
- 惭cánlook-alike(bound form) ashamed
- 间jiānsound-alike(classifier) for rooms, offices, and other enclosed spaces
- 尖jiānsound-alike(adjective) sharp, pointed; shrill, tapering, piercing; acute, keen
- 煎jiānsound-aliketo pan-fry; to sauté
- 兼jiānsound-aliketo hold two or more positions or roles at the same time; to concurrently hold
- 肩jiānsound-alike(noun) shoulder
Examples
- 渐。Zhè kuài sī chóu bèi jiān rǎn chéng shēn lán sè.This piece of silk was dyed dark blue by dipping.
- 渐。Yǔ shuǐ jiān zì le qiáng jiǎo de mù tou.Rainwater soaked the wood in the corner.
- 渐。Jiāng yào cái fàng zài shuǐ zhōng jiān jìn sān xiǎo shí.Put the medicinal herbs in water to steep for three hours.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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.
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.
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