How to Write 浸 (jìn) — Meaning “To soak”

Imagine a piece of cloth (like the shape on the right) being dipped into a bucket of water (氵 on the left). The cloth becomes completely wet and heavy as it soaks up the water, helping you remember that 浸 means 'to soak'.

Write the water radical (氵) first with three dots, then the right part starting with the top horizontal stroke. A common mistake is making the right side too wide; keep it balanced, and ensure the final sweep (捺) extends slightly beyond the top covering stroke.

浸 (jìn) means 'to soak' and has a right side that resembles a hand or something entering water, while 沫 (mò) means 'foam' and has a right side that looks like the end of a branch (末). 沭 (shù) is a river name and its right side is 术 (shù), so 浸 is unique in meaning and component shape.

浸 is commonly used in cooking (浸泡 beans to soften them) or washing (浸透 clothes in detergent). It also appears in the word 沉浸 (chén jìn), which describes being deeply absorbed in an activity or atmosphere, like being 'immersed' in a book or music.

Common words containing 浸 include: 浸泡 (jìn pào) — To soak; 浸透 (jìn tòu) — To soak through; 沉浸 (chén jìn) — to immerse; to soak.