About
The character 沉, whose traditional form is 沈, originally meant to sink or submerge in water, a meaning clearly indicated by its water radical (氵) combined with the phonetic component 冘. While the traditional form 沈 also served as an ancient place name and surname, the character 沉 specifically evolved to emphasize the action of sinking. Over time, its semantic field broadened beyond the physical act to encompass abstract states, such as something being heavy or deep, as in沉重 (heavy) or沉思 (deep thought), and further to describe a settled or calm state, as in沉着 (composed). The simplified form 沉 retains the water radical but replaces the right-hand component.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
船慢慢地下沉。
他的心情很沉重。
他沉默地坐在角落里。
夜色沉沉，街道上空无一人。
历史的尘埃早已沉淀。
这份沉甸甸的责任我们必须承担。
经过岁月的沉淀，他的性格沉稳了许多。
把自己的思绪从回忆中拉出来并不容易，它太容易让人沉溺。