沉
Character learning workspace

chén · to sink, to submerge

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

HSK 3.0 · Level 5Frequency #4077
Watch · inspect · write

Learn every stroke in 沉

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 沉 is constructed

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

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Character anatomy

Understand the reusable parts

The decomposition shows how the visual pieces fit together, not necessarily the character’s historical origin.

Writing notes

Shape and proportion

7Total 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 沉 writing sheet

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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 沉

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

chénWords pronounced chén
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Example sentences

Notice where 沉 sits in each complete thought.

Xīn fán de shí hòu, zuì hǎo jiù shì chén mò.心烦的时候,最好就是沉默。

When someone's upset, it's best to stay quiet.

Source: Tatoeba #6291555 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Tā de jiǎo bù chén zhòng dì luò zài mù dì bǎn shàng.她的脚步沉重地落在木地板上。

Her footsteps fell ponderously on the wooden floor.

Source: Tatoeba #8791841 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Tā chén jìn zài yuè dú zhī zhōng.他沉浸在阅读之中。

He was absorbed in reading.

Source: Tatoeba #1737967 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Zhè wèi lǎo jiào shòu de jiǎng zuò rǒng cháng ér chénmèn.这位老教授的讲座冗长而沉闷。

The old professor's lectures are long-winded and ponderous.

Source: Tatoeba #8791840 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Bú yào chén mí yú guò qù, ér shì yào cóng zhōng xī qǔ jiào xùn.不要沉迷于过去,而是要从中吸取教训。

Never live in the past but always learn from it.

Source: Tatoeba #6461969 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ de wèn tí zāo dào le lěng jì de chén mò.我的问题遭到了冷寂的沉默。

My questions were met with a frosty silence.

Source: Tatoeba #4757604 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Turn reference into recall

How to study 沉 in context

  1. Say chén, then recall the core meaning: to sink, to submerge.
  2. Write all 7 strokes while keeping the left-right balanced.
  3. Use it in 沉默 (chén mò), meaning “taciturn”.
  4. Read the complete sentence aloud once, then cover the translation and explain how 沉 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.