Definitions

(noun) mud; clay
(noun) paste; pulp
(adjective) restrained

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character 泥 is a phono-semantic compound. Its water radical 氵 (shuǐ) on the left indicates a connection to moisture or liquid, while the component 尼 (ní) on the right provides its pronunciation. The primary meaning is mud, dirt mixed with water or wet clay. This sense extends to any soft, sticky paste, like fruit mash or mashed potatoes. With a different tone, 泥 can also mean to plaster or to describe being bogged down, stuck, or overly constrained by rigid rules and stubborn behavior.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我的鞋子上有

Wǒ de xiézi shàng yǒu ní.

There is mud on my shoes.

孩子们在玩巴。

Háizimen zài wán níba.

The children are playing with mud.

这条路变得很泞。

Zhè tiáo lù biàn de hěn níning.

This road has become very muddy.

建筑工人正在搅拌水

Jiànzhù gōngrén zhèngzài jiǎobàn shuǐní.

The construction workers are mixing cement.

河底的淤需要清理。

Hédǐ de yūní xūyào qīnglǐ.

The silt at the river bottom needs to be cleaned.

暴雨后,田野里一片沼。

Bàoyǔ hòu, tiányě lǐ yī piàn nízhǎo.

After the heavy rain, the fields are a swamp.

陶艺师熟练地揉着料。

Táoyìshī shúliàn de róu zhe níliào.

The potter is skillfully kneading the clay.

由于长期干旱,土地已经龟裂成块。

Yóuyú chángqī gānhàn, tǔdì yǐjīng guīliè chéng níkuài.

Due to the long-term drought, the land has cracked into mud clods.