How to Write 湉 (tián) — Meaning “Quiet or calm water”

Imagine a calm lake where the water (氵) is so still that you can hear your own heart (心) inside a sweet tongue (舌). The right part 恬 actually contains 忄 (heart) and 舌 (tongue), suggesting a peaceful inner voice, just like the quiet water.

Write the water radical 氵 first as three dots and a short dash, then the right side 恬: start with the vertical heart radical 忄, then the tongue 舌 (千 with a mouth). Keep the water radical narrow and the right part slightly wider; a common mistake is making the 氵 too big or misaligning the 忄 and 舌.

While 湉 (tián) means calm water, 流 (liú) means flowing water or a current, and 浙 (zhè) is used only in the name of Zhejiang province. Visually, 流 has a different right side (㐬) and 浙 has 折 and 斤; 湉 is unique because of its 恬 component, which hints at tranquility.

湉 is a rare, literary character not found in HSK lists; it appears mainly in classical poetry or elegant descriptions of water, like 湉湉 (tián tián) meaning 'calm and peaceful (of water)'. You might see it in names or artistic contexts to evoke a serene, reflective mood.

Common words containing 湉 include: 湉湉 (tián tián) — Calm and peaceful (of water); 湉 (tián) — Quiet or calm water; 湉静 (tián jìng) — Quiet and tranquil.