How to Write 澄 (chéng/dèng) — Meaning “clear or transparent; to settle (liquid)”

Imagine a clear lake (氵) where you can see the bottom because the mud has settled — like a "climbing" (登) ladder of purity. The climbing action helps you remember the right side, and the water radical reminds you it's about transparency.

Pay attention to the right side 登: it has two dots above 癶, then 豆 underneath, and the final stroke is a dot. A common mistake is writing 癶 too wide or forgetting the top dots, making the character unbalanced.

溏 (táng) means muddy or semi-fluid, like a "swamp" — opposite to 澄's clear meaning. 源 (yuán) means "source" or "origin of water," focusing on the start of a river. Unlike 澄, 溏 and 源 do not imply settling or clarification.

澄 appears in words like 澄清 (chéng qīng) meaning "to clarify a situation" or "to clear up a liquid." It is common in news headlines when someone officially clarifies a rumor, and also describes water so clear you can see through it, as in 澄澈 (chéng chè).

Common words containing 澄 include: 澄清 (chéng qīng) — to clarify or clear up; 澄澈 (chéng chè) — crystal clear; 澄沙 (dèng shā) — sweetened bean paste.