How to Write 潮 (cháo) — Meaning “tide; damp”

Picture the morning sun (the top part of 朝) rising over the water (氵), creating a tide. The right component 朝 contains the sun and moon, reminding you that tides are influenced by the sun and moon. So you can think: 'Water + sun and moon = tide.'

Write the three dots of 氵 first, then the right side 朝. For 朝, start with 十, then write 早 (a sun on top of a ten), and finish with 月. A common mistake is making the right part too wide—keep the left narrow and the right balanced, and don't add extra strokes to the 'month' component.

潮 (cháo) contains the radical 氵 plus 朝, and means 'tide' or 'damp.' 溏 (táng) has 氵 plus 唐 and means 'muddy' or 'slushy.' 源 (yuán) has 氵 plus 原 and means 'source' or 'origin.' Visually, the right sides are different: 朝 (morning), 唐 (Tang dynasty), and 原 (original).

You often see 潮 in words like 潮湿 (cháo shī, damp) for weather, 潮流 (cháo liú, trend) for fashion or social movements, and 高潮 (gāo cháo, climax) for the peak of an event. Culturally, 潮 also appears in the name 潮州 (Cháozhōu), a famous city in Guangdong, and in 潮人 (cháo rén) meaning a trendy person.

Common words containing 潮 include: 潮湿 (cháo shī) — damp; humid; 潮流 (cháo liú) — trend; tide; 高潮 (gāo cháo) — climax; high tide.