沾

霑

zhān

占 + 氵

HSK 3.0Level 7

Definitions

zhān (verb) to moisten; to dampen

zhān (verb) to receive benefit through contact

zhān (verb) to touch

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 占 represents the sound. Simplified form of 霑.

Semantic: 氵 Phonetic: 占

About

沾 (zhān) is a phonosemantic compound and the simplified form of 霑. It combines the water radical 氵 (shuǐ), which indicates water or liquid, with the phonetic component 占 (zhān). Originally, the character described the physical process of moistening, wetting, or lightly soaking something. Over time, it acquired the extended sense of being stained or contaminated through contact, and figuratively, it came to mean receiving an advantage or sharing in someone else's good fortune through proximity or association.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

雨水沾湿了衣服。

Yǔshuǐ zhānshīle yīfú.

The rain wet the clothes.

别让油漆沾到手。

Bié ràng yóuqī zhān dào shǒu.

Don't let paint get on your hands.

他沾了朋友的光。

Tā zhānle péngyǒu de guāng.

He benefited from his friend's influence.

这本书沾点历史。

Zhè běn shū zhān diǎn lìshǐ.

This book touches on history a bit.

她的裙子沾上了泥巴。

Tā de qúnzi zhān shàngle níbā.

Her skirt got stained with mud.

这种做法沾了违法的边。

Zhè zhǒng zuòfǎ zhānle wéifǎ de biān.

This practice borders on illegality.

他的成功沾了时代的光。

Tā de chénggōng zhānle shídài de guāng.

His success benefited from the times.

沾染不良习惯会影响一生。

Zhānrǎn bùliáng xíguàn huì yǐngxiǎng yīshēng.

Being contaminated with bad habits can affect one's whole life.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 占

Component: 氵

沾