About
The character 溢 is a phono-semantic compound, structured with the water radical (氵) on the left indicating its semantic field related to liquid, and the component 益 on the right, which provides both its phonetic value and core meaning. The component 益 itself originally depicted water overflowing from a vessel, conveying the idea of surplus and excess, a meaning it retained. To create a more specialized graph for the concrete action of liquid overflow, the water radical was added to 益, forming 溢 to specifically denote "to overflow" or "to brim over". Over time, while 溢 kept this primary physical meaning, it also broadened to function as a metaphorical extension for anything excessive, such as overflowing emotions or an abundance of qualities.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
河水溢出堤岸。
杯中的牛奶溢出来了。
他的脸上洋溢着幸福的笑容。
才华横溢的作家赢得了奖项。
锅里炖的汤太满，都溢到灶台上了。
这份报告充满了溢美之词，缺乏客观分析。
欢乐的气氛溢满了整个婚礼现场。
这些溢出的化学物质对环境构成了潜在威胁。