潜泳 (qián yǒng) — swim underwater

Definition

verb
swim underwater

Examples

  • 潜泳。
    Tā zuì xǐ huan zài hǎi lǐ qián yǒng.
    He likes swimming underwater in the sea the most.
  • 潜泳。
    qián yǒng Shì yí xiàng hěn hǎo de yǒu yǎng yùn dòng.
    Swimming underwater is a great aerobic exercise.
  • 潜泳。
    Zhè wèi yùn dòng yuán de qián yǒng jì shù fēi cháng chū sè.
    This athlete's underwater swimming technique is outstanding.

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.

潜qiánsubmerged
泳yǒngswim

“潜” indicates being submerged or diving, and “泳” is swimming, so the word means to swim underwater.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 潛; 潜 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐ
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.

Open 潜 →

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shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
永
永yǒng泳yǒng
Same sound today

泳 pairs 氵 (water) with 永, which gives the sound. The water part fits the meaning of swimming.

Open 泳 →

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