潜 (qián) — (v.) to dive; to submerge; (v.) to hide; to lurk; to lie low; to be latent
Definition
Literary verb meaning 'to dive/submerge' or 'to lie hidden/latent' (as in 潜伏). At HSK 7, the 'hidden/latent' sense dominates, often paired with 伏 in formal writing.
verb
(v.) to diveto submerge(v.) to hideto lurkto lie lowto be latent
Examples
- 。Tā qián rù shuǐ zhōng zhǎo diū shī de yào shi.He dived into the water to look for the lost keys.
- 。Shì bīng men qián fú zài cǎo cóng lǐ děng dài mìng lìng.The soldiers lay hidden in the grass waiting for orders.
- 。Zhè zhǒng bìng dú kě yǐ zài rén tǐ nèi qián fú duō nián.This type of virus can lie dormant in the human body for many years.
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 潛; 潜 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
朁
朁cǎn潛qián
Same sound today
The form 潛 has 水 as a meaning part and 朁 as a sound part; this note is about 潛, not the simplified 潜.
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