About
The character "渐", originating from its traditional form "漸", structurally integrates the water radical "氵" with a phonetic component; in the traditional version, this is "斬" (meaning to chop), which primarily served to indicate pronunciation, while the simplified form substitutes this with "斩". Etymologically, the character initially conveyed the concrete action of soaking or moistening, as implied by its water-related radical. Over time, this literal meaning extended metaphorically to describe incremental processes, mirroring the slow saturation of water, leading to its contemporary adverbial sense of "gradually" or "little by little". The transition from "漸" to "渐" involved a simplification of the phonetic element but preserved the water radical and the character's evolved lexical function.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
天渐渐黑了。
他的病渐渐好转了。
我对这个城市逐渐熟悉起来。
两人渐行渐远，没了联系。
改革的成效正在逐渐显现。
她的态度发生了渐进式的转变。
通过渐进的方法，他掌握了技巧。
城市化进程逐渐加快，带来了新的挑战。