湍 (tuān) — (bound form) rapid, torrential (of water)

Definition

湍 is a bound literary word for swift, rushing water. It rarely stands alone — you see it in compounds like 湍急 (swift) and 湍流 (torrent).

bound form

rapidtorrential (of water)

Easily confused

，。
Hé shuǐ tuān jí, xiǎo chuán hěn nán qián xíng.
The river current is swift; it's very hard for the small boat to move forward.
。
Shān jiān de tuān liú fā chū jù dà de xiǎng shēng.
The mountain torrent made a huge roaring sound.
，。
Zhè duàn shuǐ yù shí fēn tuān jí, bú shì hé yóu yǒng.
This stretch of water is very rough and unsuitable for swimming.

Sound + meaning

六书liùshū

形声xíngshēng

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

耑

耑zhuān湍

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

湍 pairs 水 (water) with 耑, which gives the sound.