How to Write 渫 (xiè) — Meaning “To dredge or discharge”

Picture a leaf (枼) floating on water (氵) and you using a net to scoop it out and remove it. This visual of clearing a leaf from water helps you remember that 渫 means to dredge or discharge something like dirt from a river.

The right side 枼 has four horizontal strokes: write the top horizontal first, then the vertical stroke down through them, then the three short horizontals below, and finally the diagonal stroke. A common mistake is to make the water radical too wide; keep it narrow so the whole character stays balanced.

渫 has the right component 枼 (four horizontals and a vertical), while 流 uses 㐬 (a dot, horizontal, and a child-like part) and 浙 uses 折 (a hand breaking a twig). In meaning, 渫 specifically means clearing out obstructions, whereas 流 means "to flow" and 浙 is a river name.

渫 is a classical character found mainly in technical or literary writing about dredging rivers or wells, such as in the compound 疏渫 (to clear out). It also appears in place names like 渫水 (Xieshui River), but it is not used in everyday conversation and is not part of the HSK vocabulary.

Common words containing 渫 include: 渫水 (xiè shuǐ) — Xieshui River; 疏渫 (shū xiè) — To dredge; to clear out; 渫井 (xiè jǐng) — To dredge a well.