About
The character "淹", traditionally written with its water radical (氵) on the left and the phonetic component "奄" (yǎn) on the right, originally conveyed the core meaning of soaking, immersing, or submerging in water. Over time, its semantic field expanded from the literal act of flooding to include more figurative or extended senses, such as to be detained or delayed, as if held back by water, and to perspire profusely. The component "奄" itself carries connotations of covering or enveloping, which aligns with the idea of something being overcome or encompassed by liquid.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这场大雨淹了街道。
洪水差点淹了我们的房子。
他的声音被掌声淹没了。
不要让孩子在河边玩，小心淹着。
整个村庄被淹的消息令人难过。
历史资料被水淹过，有些字迹已经模糊。
持续的暴雨导致多条河流水位上涨，淹没了农田。
为了防止海水倒灌淹没低洼地区，政府修建了坚固的防洪堤。