How to Write 淙 (cóng) — Meaning “gurgle (sound of flowing water)”

Imagine water (氵) flowing through an ancestral hall (宗), creating a gentle gurgling sound. The picture of water and a gathering place helps you recall that 淙 means the sound of flowing water.

Write the water radical 氵 on the left with three compact strokes. On the right, 宗 has a wide top (宀) and a bottom part (示) that ends with two small dots — be careful not to confuse the bottom with '小'. Keep the whole character balanced, with the left side slightly narrower.

淙 specifically describes the gurgling sound of flowing water, while 洁 means "clean" or "pure" (as in 清洁). 洄 means "to flow backward" or "whirlpool" (water returning). Visually, 淙 has 宗 on the right, 洁 has 吉, and 洄 has 回 — each gives a different meaning clue.

淙 is used mainly in literary or poetic descriptions of streams and rivers, often repeated as 淙淙 to imitate the sound of water. You might encounter it in nature writing or classical poetry, but it is rare in everyday conversation.

Common words containing 淙 include: 淙淙 (cóng cóng) — gurgling sound; 淙流 (cóng liú) — gurgling stream; 淙潺 (cóng chán) — murmuring or gurgling of water.