涅 (niè) - to blacken & to dye black

涅Tone 4

niè ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

念柠

涅 · niè

to blacken;

to dye black;

used in Buddhist context for nirvana;

a river name in ancient China.

to blackento dye blackused in Buddhist context for nirvana

Usage highlights

NirvanaTo blackenNie RiverTo stain/contaminateNie stoneNie ink

Synonyms

  • 黑— black (color)
  • 染— to dye

Antonyms

  • 白— white
  • 净— clean, pure

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The concept of nirvana in Buddhism (涅槃).
  • To blacken or dye something (涅黑).
  • The ancient Nie River (涅水).
  • To be stained or contaminated (涅污).

Collocations

  • Nirvana(涅槃)
  • To blacken(涅黑)
  • Nie River(涅水)
  • To stain/contaminate(涅污)
  • Nie stone(涅石)
  • Nie ink(涅墨)

Idioms

  • To be stained but not black(涅而不缁)
  • To pass through nirvana(涅槃重生)
  • The blackness of Nie(涅黑之色)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Buddhism, 涅槃 (nirvana) represents the ultimate state of liberation from suffering and the cycle of rebirth.
  • Historically used in alchemy and dyeing processes for blackening materials.
  • Appears in ancient Chinese geography as the name of the Nie River.

FAQ