潜
Character learning workspace

qián · to hide

Master the form, understand its parts, and learn how it behaves in real Chinese.

Watch · inspect · write

Learn every stroke in 潜

Replay the complete order, pause on difficult movements, inspect one stroke at a time, then write it yourself with live correction.

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Stroke graphics: Make Me a Hanzi / Arphic Public License
Step-by-step explorer

See how 潜 is constructed

Switch between the accumulated form and the isolated movement of each stroke.

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Writing notes

Shape and proportion

15Total strokes

Count each continuous pen movement once, including turns and hooks.

Left-rightCharacter structure

Keep the left side compact and leave enough room for the right side.

氵Key radical

Use the highlighted radical in the animation as a visual anchor for remembering the form.

Print and practise

Download a 潜 writing sheet

Get a ready-to-use A4 sheet immediately, or open the full builder to change its grid and guidance.

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Includes the stroke sequence, progressive tracing, and blank writing squares. Generated locally in your browser.

Vocabulary in context

Common words with 潜

Open a word for its full breakdown, or listen before reading the meaning.

qiánWords pronounced qián
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Example sentences

Notice where 潜 sits in each complete thought.

Tā yǒu jí dà de qián lì.他有极大的潜力。

He has enormous potential.

Source: Tatoeba #805205 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ rènwéi, nǐ yǐ jīng wán quán jù bèi le qián fú de zī zhì.我认为,你已经完全具备了潜伏的资质。

I believe you already possess all the qualities needed to go undercover.

Source: Tatoeba #13111467 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Nǐ néng qián shuǐ ma?你能潜水吗?

Can you swim underwater?

Source: Tatoeba #1776712 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Tā qián jìn shuǐ lǐ, rán hòu yòu fú shàng shuǐ lái huàn qì.他潜进水里,然后又浮上水来换气。

He dived into the water and came up for air.

Source: Tatoeba #1254558 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Yào jiě kāi móu shā bèi hòu qián cáng zhī mí!要解开谋杀背后潜藏之谜!

Solve the mystery lurking behind the murder!

Source: Tatoeba #333755 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Tā xié kuǎn qián táo.他携款潜逃。

He absconded with the money.

Source: Tatoeba #1878433 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Turn reference into recall

How to study 潜 in context

  1. Say qián, then recall the core meaning: to hide.
  2. Write all 15 strokes while keeping the left-right balanced.
  3. Use it in 潜力 (qián lì), meaning “potential”.
  4. Read the complete sentence aloud once, then cover the translation and explain how 潜 works in that context.

Definitions and traditional forms are compiled from Make Me a Hanzi, HSK curriculum data, and CC-CEDICT. Sourced example sentences link to Tatoeba; editorial examples are labeled separately. Review data sources and licenses.