沾

See also: 霑

沾 U+6CBE, 沾 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-6CBE ← 沽 [U+6CBD] CJK Unified Ideographs 沿 → [U+6CBF]

Translingual

Han character

沾 (Kangxi radical 85, 水+5, 8 strokes, cangjie input 水卜口 (EYR), four-corner 3116₀, composition ⿰氵占)

Derived characters

• 𮏝, 𥮒, 𨵍, 霑, 𡝫, 惉, 𤊁

Related characters

• 霑 (Variant form in mainland China)

Further reading

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 614, character 12
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 17259
• Dae Jaweon: page 1008, character 3
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 3, page 1583, character 6
• Unihan data for U+6CBE

Chinese

simp. and trad.		沾

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 沾
Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
Small seal script

Characters in the same phonetic series (占) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
頕	*taːm
煔	*ɦlaːm, *hljems, *hl'eːms
炶	*ɦlaːm
詀	*rteːm, *rdeːms, *teːm, *tʰjeb
站	*rteːms
檆	*sreːm
黏	*nem
粘	*nem
枮	*slem, *ʔl'ɯm
霑	*tem
沾	*tem, *teːms, *tʰeːm
覘	*tems, *tʰem
鉆	*tʰem, *ɡrem, *tʰeːb
占	*ʔljem, *tjems
颭	*tjemʔ
佔	*tjems, *teːm
苫	*hljem, *hljems
痁	*hljem, *teːms
蛅	*njem
阽	*lem
敁	*teːm
掂	*tiːm
點	*teːmʔ
玷	*teːmʔ, *teːms
店	*tiːms
坫	*tiːms, *tim
黇	*tʰeːm
扂	*deːmʔ
拈	*neːm
鮎	*neːm
砧	*ʔl'ɯm
笘	*teːb
跕	*teːb, *tʰeːb
貼	*tʰeːb
帖	*tʰeːb
怗	*tʰeːb
呫	*tʰeːb

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *tem, *teːms, *tʰeːm) : semantic 水 (“water”) + phonetic 占 (OC *ʔljem, *tjems).

Ganlu Zishu considers this glyph to be an unorthodox variant of 霑 (zhān).

Etymology 1

Austroasiatic; compare Khmer ត្រាំ (tram, “to soak”), តំរាំ (tɑmrŏəm, “soaking; immersion; something which has been soaked”), ជ្រាំ (crŏəm, “muddy water”), Proto-Bahnaric *tram (“to soak”), *kram (“to sink”), Proto-Katuic *tram (“to soak”) (Schuessler, 2007).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): zhān (zhan¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄓㄢ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): zim¹
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): tiam / chiam / cham

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: zhān
    • Zhuyin: ㄓㄢ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jhan
    • Wade–Giles: chan¹
    • Yale: jān
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jan
    • Palladius: чжань (čžanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂän⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: zim¹
    • Yale: jīm
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dzim¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: jim¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡siːm⁵⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tiam
    • Tâi-lô: tiam
    • Phofsit Daibuun: diafm
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /tiam⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /tiam³³/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chiam
    • Tâi-lô: tsiam
    • Phofsit Daibuun: ciafm
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡siam³³/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /t͡siam⁴⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: cham
    • Tâi-lô: tsam
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zafm
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡sam³³/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /t͡sam⁴⁴/

Note:

• tiam, chiam - literary;
• cham - vernacular.

---

• Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 沾
Mandarin	Beijing	/ʈ͡ʂan⁵⁵/
	Harbin	/ʈ͡ʂan⁴⁴/
	Tianjin	/ʈ͡ʂan²¹/ /t͡san²¹/
	Jinan	/ʈ͡ʂã²¹³/
	Qingdao	/tʃã²¹³/
	Zhengzhou	/ʈ͡ʂan²⁴/
	Xi'an	/ʈ͡ʂã²¹/
	Xining	/ʈ͡ʂã⁴⁴/
	Yinchuan	/ʈ͡ʂan⁴⁴/
	Lanzhou	/ʈ͡ʂɛ̃n³¹/
	Ürümqi	/ʈ͡ʂan⁴⁴/
	Wuhan	/t͡san⁵⁵/
	Chengdu	/t͡san⁵⁵/
	Guiyang	/t͡san⁵⁵/
	Kunming	/ʈ͡ʂã̠⁴⁴/
	Nanjing	/ʈ͡ʂaŋ³¹/
	Hefei	/ʈ͡ʂæ̃²¹/
Jin	Taiyuan	/t͡sæ̃¹¹/
	Pingyao	/ʈ͡ʂɑŋ¹³/
	Hohhot	/t͡sæ̃³¹/
Wu	Shanghai	/t͡sø⁵³/
	Suzhou	/t͡sø⁵⁵/
	Hangzhou	/t͡sz̩ʷõ³³/
	Wenzhou	/t͡ɕi³³/
Hui	Shexian	/t͡ɕie³¹/
	Tunxi	/t͡ɕiɛ¹¹/
Xiang	Changsha	/ʈ͡ʂə̃³³/
	Xiangtan	/t͡san³³/
Gan	Nanchang	/t͡sɛn⁴²/
Hakka	Meixian	/t͡sam⁴⁴/
	Taoyuan	/tʃɑm²⁴/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/t͡sim⁵³/
	Nanning	/t͡sim⁵⁵/
	Hong Kong	/t͡sim⁵⁵/
Min	Xiamen (Hokkien)	/t͡sam³⁵/
	Fuzhou (Eastern Min)	/t͡sieŋ⁴⁴/
	Jian'ou (Northern Min)	/niŋ⁵⁴/ /t͡siŋ⁵⁴/
	Shantou (Teochew)	/tiam³³/
	Haikou (Hainanese)	/tiam²³/

---

• Middle Chinese: trjem

Rime
Character	沾
Reading #	1/3
Initial (聲)	知 (9)
Final (韻)	鹽 (154)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	張廉切
Baxter	trjem
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʈˠiᴇm/
Pan Wuyun	/ʈᵚiɛm/
Shao Rongfen	/ȶiæm/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʈjiam/
Li Rong	/ȶjɛm/
Wang Li	/ȶĭɛm/
Bernard Karlgren	/ȶi̯ɛm/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	zhān
Expected Cantonese Reflex	zim1

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[t]rem/

  (Zhengzhang): /*tem/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	沾
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	zhān
Middle Chinese	‹ trjem ›
Old Chinese	/*[t]rem/
English	moisten
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	沾
Reading #	1/3
No.	16702
Phonetic component	占
Rime group	談
Rime subdivision	2
Corresponding MC rime	霑
Old Chinese	/*tem/

Definitions

沾

1. ^† abundant; overflowing; brimming
2. to soak; to moisten

   • 麗之姬，艾封人之子也。晉國之始得之也，涕泣沾襟。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     丽之姬，艾封人之子也。晋国之始得之也，涕泣沾襟。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Zhuangzi, circa 3^rd – 2^nd centuries BCE

     Lì zhī jī, Ài fēng rén zhī zǐ yě. Jìnguó zhī shǐ dé zhī yě, tìqì zhān jīn. [Pinyin]

     The concubine of Li was the daughter of a person from the frontiers of Ai. Initially, when the king of Jin took her as his concubine, she cried until her tears soaked her clothes.

3. to share in (a benefit); to benefit through association
4. ^† to influence; to edify

   • 若乃文約之所沾漸，風聲之所周流，幾將日所出入處也。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
     若乃文约之所沾渐，风声之所周流，几将日所出入处也。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Book of the Later Han, circa 5^th century CE

     Ruò nǎi wényuē zhī suǒ zhān jiàn, fēngshēng zhī suǒ zhōuliú, jǐ jiāng rì suǒ chūrù chù yě. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

5. to be stained with; to be contaminated by

   我的鞋子沾到泥巴了。 [MSC, trad. and simp.]

   Wǒ de xiézi zhān dào níbā le. [Pinyin]

   My shoes are stained with mud.

6. to touch; to come into contact with

   • 我這無根水，非此之論，乃是天上落下者，不沾地就吃，才叫做無根水。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     我这无根水，非此之论，乃是天上落下者，不沾地就吃，才叫做无根水。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: Wu Cheng'en, Journey to the West, 16^th century CE

     Wǒ zhè wú gēn shuǐ, fēi cǐ zhī lùn, nǎi shì tiānshàng luòxià zhě, bù zhān dì jiù chī, cái jiàozuò wú gēn shuǐ. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

7. (dialectal) to be good; to be okay

Synonyms

• (to benefit):

edit

• 受用
• 受益 (shòuyì)
• 得利 (délì) (literary)
• 得力 (délì) (from someone's assistance)
• 得益 (déyì)

 

• (to touch):

edit

• 守 (shǒu)
• 挨 (āi)
• 挨著／挨着 (āizhe)
• 接觸／接触 (jiēchù)
• 搭倚 (Zhangzhou Hokkien)
• 攏／拢 (lǒng) (literary, or in compounds)
• 攏邊／拢边 (long³ bienn¹) (Xiang)
• 涉獵／涉猎 (shèliè)
• 湊／凑 (còu)
• 觸及／触及 (chùjí)
• 近前 (jìnqián) (literary)
• 靠攏／靠拢 (kàolǒng)
• 靠近 (kàojìn)

 

Compounds

• 一沾
• 不沾
• 利益均沾
• 均沾 (jūnzhān)
• 得沾化雨
• 惹草沾花
• 惹草沾風／惹草沾风
• 汗出沾背
• 沐露沾霜
• 泣下沾襟
• 沾丐
• 沾乾／沾干
• 沾便宜
• 沾光 (zhānguāng)
• 沾包
• 沾化 (Zhānhuà)
• 沾卹
• 沾寒
• 沾巾
• 沾帶／沾带
• 沾惹
• 沾戀／沾恋
• 沾手 (zhānshǒu)
• 沾扯
• 沾接
• 沾染 (zhānrǎn)
• 沾汙／沾污
• 沾沾
• 沾泣
• 沾泥帶水／沾泥带水
• 沾泥絮
• 沾沾自喜 (zhānzhānzìxǐ)
• 沾沾自好
• 沾沾自滿／沾沾自满
• 沾沾自衒
• 沾沾自足
• 沾洿
• 沾洽
• 沾浹／沾浃
• 沾浥
• 沾渥
• 沾溉
• 沾漉
• 沾滯／沾滞
• 沾漸／沾渐
• 沾潤／沾润
• 沾濟／沾济
• 沾濕／沾湿 (zhānshī)
• 沾濡
• 沾灑／沾洒
• 沾牙
• 沾病
• 沾礙／沾碍
• 沾粘
• 沾纓／沾缨
• 沾脣／沾唇
• 沾臆
• 沾膺
• 沾花惹草
• 沾衣
• 沾衿
• 沾袍
• 沾被
• 沾補／沾补
• 沾裳
• 沾襟
• 沾親／沾亲
• 沾親帶友／沾亲带友
• 沾親帶故／沾亲带故
• 沾親帶骨／沾亲带骨
• 沾親挂拐
• 沾識／沾识
• 沾賚／沾赉
• 沾賞／沾赏
• 沾足
• 沾辱
• 沾連／沾连
• 沾逮
• 沾邊／沾边 (zhānbiān)
• 沾醉 (zhānzuì)
• 沾錫／沾锡
• 沾霈
• 沾風惹草／沾风惹草
• 沾黏
• 滴水不沾
• 滴水未沾
• 滴酒不沾 (dījiǔbùzhān)
• 禪絮沾泥／禅絮沾泥
• 脅不沾席／胁不沾席
• 腳不沾地／脚不沾地
• 迷花沾草
• 雨沾雲惹／雨沾云惹

 

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): zhān (zhan¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄓㄢ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): zim¹

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: zhān
    • Zhuyin: ㄓㄢ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jhan
    • Wade–Giles: chan¹
    • Yale: jān
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jan
    • Palladius: чжань (čžanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂän⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: zim¹
    • Yale: jīm
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dzim¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: jim¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡siːm⁵⁵/

---

• Middle Chinese: trjem

Rime
Character	沾
Reading #	1/3
Initial (聲)	知 (9)
Final (韻)	鹽 (154)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	張廉切
Baxter	trjem
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʈˠiᴇm/
Pan Wuyun	/ʈᵚiɛm/
Shao Rongfen	/ȶiæm/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʈjiam/
Li Rong	/ȶjɛm/
Wang Li	/ȶĭɛm/
Bernard Karlgren	/ȶi̯ɛm/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	zhān
Expected Cantonese Reflex	zim1

• Old Chinese

  (Zhengzhang): /*tem/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	沾
Reading #	1/3
No.	16702
Phonetic component	占
Rime group	談
Rime subdivision	2
Corresponding MC rime	霑
Old Chinese	/*tem/

Definitions

沾

1. (～水) an ancient river that flows from Huguan County, Shanxi into the Qi (淇) River in Henan, China

   • 又東北，沾水注之，水出壺關縣東沾臺下，石壁崇高，昂藏隱天 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
     又东北，沾水注之，水出壶关县东沾台下，石壁崇高，昂藏隐天 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

     From: Li Daoyuan, Commentary on the Water Classic, 386-534 CE

     yòu dōngběi, Zhānshuǐ zhù zhī, shuǐ chū Húguānxiàn dōng zhān tái xià, shíbì chónggāo, ángcáng yǐn tiān [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): tiān (tian¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄊㄧㄢ

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: tiān
    • Zhuyin: ㄊㄧㄢ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: tian
    • Wade–Giles: tʻien¹
    • Yale: tyān
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tian
    • Palladius: тянь (tjanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵/

---

• Middle Chinese: them

Rime
Character	沾
Reading #	2/3
Initial (聲)	透 (6)
Final (韻)	添 (157)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	IV
Fanqie	他兼切
Baxter	them
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/tʰem/
Pan Wuyun	/tʰem/
Shao Rongfen	/tʰɛm/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/tʰɛm/
Li Rong	/tʰem/
Wang Li	/tʰiem/
Bernard Karlgren	/tʰiem/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	tiān
Expected Cantonese Reflex	tim1

• Old Chinese

  (Zhengzhang): /*tʰeːm/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	沾
Reading #	3/3
No.	16728
Phonetic component	占
Rime group	談
Rime subdivision	2
Corresponding MC rime	添
Old Chinese	/*tʰeːm/

Definitions

沾

1. ^† Alternative form of 添 (tiān, “to increase”)
2. ^† thin

   • 吳酸蒿蔞，不沾薄只。魂兮歸來！恣所擇只。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     吴酸蒿蒌，不沾薄只。魂兮归来！恣所择只。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Verses of Chu, 4^th century BCE – 2^nd century CE

     Wú suān hāo lóu, bù zhān bó zhǐ. Hún xī guīlái! Zì suǒ zé zhǐ. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Etymology 4

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): diàn (dian⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄉㄧㄢˋ

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: diàn
    • Zhuyin: ㄉㄧㄢˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: diàn
    • Wade–Giles: tien⁴
    • Yale: dyàn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: diann
    • Palladius: дянь (djanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ti̯ɛn⁵¹/

---

• Middle Chinese: temH

Rime
Character	沾
Reading #	3/3
Initial (聲)	端 (5)
Final (韻)	添 (157)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	IV
Fanqie	都念切
Baxter	temH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/temH/
Pan Wuyun	/temH/
Shao Rongfen	/tɛmH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/tɛmH/
Li Rong	/temH/
Wang Li	/tiemH/
Bernard Karlgren	/tiemH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	diàn
Expected Cantonese Reflex	dim3

• Old Chinese

  (Zhengzhang): /*teːms/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	沾
Reading #	2/3
No.	16725
Phonetic component	占
Rime group	談
Rime subdivision	2
Corresponding MC rime	店
Old Chinese	/*teːms/

Definitions

沾

1. (～水) an ancient river flowing from Xiyang County, Shanxi into Ye (冶) River in Hebei
2. (～縣) (historical) a county in the Han dynasty southwest of Xiyang County

   • 出上黨沾縣西北少山大要谷，南過縣西，又從縣南屈。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
     出上党沾县西北少山大要谷，南过县西，又从县南屈。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

     From: Li Daoyuan, Commentary on the Water Classic, 386-534 CE

     Chū Shàngdǎng Diànxiàn xīběi Shào shān Dàyào gǔ, nán guò xiàn xī, yòu cóng xiàn nán qū. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Etymology 5

For pronunciation and definitions of 沾 – see 覘. (This character is a variant form of 覘).

Etymology 6

For pronunciation and definitions of 沾 – see 蘸 (“to dip in; to submerge in; to dip in; etc.”). (This character is the second-round simplified form of 蘸).

Notes: Simplified Chinese is mainly used in Mainland China, Malaysia, and Singapore. Traditional Chinese is mainly used in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

Japanese

Kanji

沾

(Hyōgai kanji)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Readings

• On (unclassified): てん (ten)
• Kun: うるおう (uruō)

Compounds

• 均沾(きんてん) (kinten)

Korean

Etymology 1

From Middle Chinese 沾 (MC trjem).

Hanja

Wikisource

沾 (eumhun 시다 첨 (sida cheom))

1. hanja form^? of 첨 (“to soak; to moisten”)

Compounds

Compounds

• 첨습 (沾濕, cheomseup)
• 첨유 (沾濡, cheomyu)
• 첨의 (沾衣, cheomui)
• 첨흡 (沾洽, cheomheup)
• 균첨 (均沾, gyuncheom)

Etymology 2

From Middle Chinese 沾 (MC them).

Hanja

沾 (eumhun 더할 첨 (deohal cheom))

1. Alternative form of 添 (“hanja form^? of 첨 (“to append; to increase”)”)

Etymology 3

Hanja

沾 (eumhun 경망할 첩 (gyeongmanghal cheop))

1. hanja form^? of 첩 (“frivolous; discourteous; smug”)

Compounds

• 첩첩 (沾沾, cheopcheop)

References

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [1]

Vietnamese

Han character

沾: Hán Nôm readings: chăm, trèm, triêm, chem, thêm

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.