How to Write 霪 (yín) — Meaning “Excessive rain”

Picture the rain radical 雨 as dark clouds, and below it the component 淫 looks like a person (the 壬 part) standing in floodwater (the 氵 part). This image of a person trapped by too much rain helps you remember that 霪 means excessive, relentless rain.

The top radical 雨 should be wide enough to cover the lower part. The lower part 淫 has three sections: left side 氵 (three dots), upper right 爫 (three strokes like a claw), and bottom 壬 ending with a long horizontal stroke. A common mistake is making the 氵 too close to the right side or forgetting the dot on top of the 壬.

霜 (frost) has 雨 plus 相 and means frost or ice crystals, while 霪 is about excessive rain, not cold. 霝 (falling rain) uses 雨 plus 令 and simply describes raindrops falling. 霪 specifically emphasizes the continuity and excess of rain, not just the act of falling or frozen forms.

霪 is a literary character rarely used in everyday conversation. It appears in classical poetry and descriptive writing to emphasize relentless, heavy rain, such as in the phrase 霪雨霏霏 (dense and continuous rain). Its use often sets a gloomy or melancholic atmosphere.

Common words containing 霪 include: 霪雨 (yín yǔ) — Continuous heavy rain; 霪霖 (yín lín) — Long-lasting heavy rain; 霪雨霏霏 (yín yǔ fēi fēi) — Dense and continuous rain.