淤

yū

於 + 氵

Definitions

yū silt; river sludge; to silt up; choked with silt; variant of 瘀[yū]

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 於 represents the sound.

Semantic: 氵 Phonetic: 於

About

The character 淤 (yū) is a phono-semantic compound. Its semantic radical 氵 (shuǐ) on the left indicates a connection to water or aquatic environments, while the phonetic component 於 (yū) on the right provides its pronunciation. This structure anchors the character's core meaning in the realm of water, specifically referring to silt, mud, or fine sediment that settles at the bottom of rivers, lakes, or stagnant water. Beyond functioning as a noun for this physical sludge, 淤 also carries a verbal sense, meaning to clog, block, or obstruct the flow of liquids due to sediment buildup. This concept of blockage extends into traditional medical terminology, where it describes the stagnation of blood flow, as in the term "淤血" (yūxè).

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这条河里有淤泥。

Zhè tiáo hé lǐ yǒu yūní.

There is silt in this river.

下水道被垃圾淤住了。

Xiàshuǐdào bèi lājī yū zhù le.

The drain is clogged with garbage.

泥沙淤积在河口。

Níshā yūjī zài hékǒu.

Sediment is accumulating at the river mouth.

管道长期淤塞需要疏通。

Guǎndào chángqī yūsè xūyào shūtōng.

The long-term clogged pipe needs to be cleared.

他的伤口周围有些淤血。

Tā de shāngkǒu zhōuwéi yǒuxiē yūxuè.

There is some bruising around his wound.

河床淤高导致了水位上涨。

Héchuáng yū gāo dǎozhì le shuǐwèi shàngzhǎng.

The siltation of the riverbed caused the water level to rise.

治理黄河的关键在于减少泥沙淤积。

Zhìlǐ Huáng Hé de guānjiàn zàiyú jiǎnshǎo níshā yūjī.

The key to managing the Yellow River lies in reducing silt accumulation.

他腿上的淤青是昨天不小心撞的。

Tā tuǐ shàng de yūqīng shì zuótiān bù xiǎoxīn zhuàng de.

The bruise on his leg is from bumping into something yesterday by accident.

Related Characters

Component: 於

Component: 氵

淤