Definitions

tián (verb) to fill in; to stuff
tián (verb) to fill out (a form)

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "填" derives from a structural composition featuring the earth radical "土" alongside the component "真", which historically provided phonetic guidance while possibly echoing connotations of substance or completeness, pointing to an initial sense of packing or tamping down soil. Over time, this foundation in physical filling broadened considerably, allowing the character to acquire abstract and figurative applications such as completing written forms, satisfying conditions, or addressing emotional needs, thus expanding its semantic field while retaining its core conceptual link to the act of making full. Its graphical form, consistent across historical periods, maintains this composite arrangement, reflecting a stable orthographic identity despite the adaptive range of meanings it has accumulated.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

写这个表格。

Qǐng tiánxiě zhège biǎogé.

Please fill out this form.

我需要一张申请表。

Wǒ xūyào tián yī zhāng shēnqǐng biǎo.

I need to fill out an application form.

他把坑满了土。

Tā bǎ kēng tiánmǎn le tǔ.

He filled the pit with soil.

好这份问卷后,请交给我。

Tián hǎo zhè fèn wènjuàn hòu, qǐng jiāo gěi wǒ.

After filling out this questionnaire, please hand it to me.

我们在海造地方面取得了进展。

Wǒmen zài tiánhǎi zàodì fāngmiàn qǔdé le jìnzhǎn.

We have made progress in land reclamation from the sea.

如果你不真实信息,可能会遇到麻烦。

Rúguǒ nǐ bù tián zhēnshí xìnxī, kěnéng huì yùdào máfan.

If you don't fill in real information, you might encounter trouble.

工程师们正在用碎石平那条旧河道。

Gōngchéngshīmen zhèngzài yòng suìshí tiánpíng nà tiáo jiù hédào.

The engineers are using crushed stones to fill in that old river channel.

在数据挖掘中,充缺失值是常见的数据预处理步骤。

Zài shùjù wājué zhōng, tiánchōng quēshī zhí shì chángjiàn de shùjù yùchǔlǐ bùzhòu.

In data mining, filling in missing values is a common data preprocessing step.