沈 (shěn) - Shen — a common Chinese surname & to sink

沈Tone 3

shěn ｜ 7 strokes ｜ radical: 氵

上姝

沈 · shěn

Shen — a common Chinese surname;

to sink;

deep;

profound;

also refers to Shenyang city.

Shen — a common Chinese surnameto sinkdeep

Usage highlights

Shen surnameto sinkdeep thoughtShenyang cityprofoundto sink into

Synonyms

  • 沉— to sink; deep
  • 深— deep; profound

Antonyms

  • 浮— to float; superficial
  • 浅— shallow; superficial

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He has the surname Shen (姓沈).
  • The boat began to sink (沉没).
  • Shenyang is a major city in Northeast China (沈阳).
  • She was deep in thought (沉思).

Collocations

  • Shen surname(沈姓)
  • to sink(沉没)
  • deep thought(沉思)
  • Shenyang city(沈阳)
  • profound(深沉)
  • to sink into(沉入)

Idioms

  • As steady as Mount Tai(稳如泰山)
  • Broken boat and sinking sword(破釜沉舟)
  • Sink or swim(浮沉)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • One of the most common Chinese surnames, ranked 37th in population.
  • Historically associated with the ancient state of Shen during the Zhou dynasty.
  • The character also carries meanings related to depth, profundity and sinking.

FAQ