漬 (zì) - to soak & to steep

漬Tone 4

zì ｜ 14 strokes ｜ radical:

志

漬 · zì

to soak;

to steep;

to pickle;

to marinate;

to be stained or soiled;

sediment or dregs.

to soakto steepto pickle

Usage highlights

to pickle vegetablesoil stainink stainsweat stainwater stainsediment

Synonyms

  • 浸— to soak, immerse
  • 泡— to soak, steep
  • 腌— to pickle, preserve in salt

Antonyms

  • 干— dry (opposite of soaked)
  • 净— clean (opposite of stained)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Pickled vegetables (渍菜) are a traditional food preservation method.
  • The shirt was stained with ink (墨水渍).
  • Soak the beans overnight (把豆子渍一夜).
  • The riverbank was silted up (河岸被淤泥渍塞).

Collocations

  • to pickle vegetables(渍菜)
  • oil stain(油渍)
  • ink stain(墨渍)
  • sweat stain(汗渍)
  • water stain(水渍)
  • sediment(渍泥)

Idioms

  • Stained with blood and sweat(血汗渍染)
  • Accumulated silt blocks the flow(渍泥塞流)
  • Pickled beyond recognition(渍渍不清)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese culinary culture, '渍' refers to traditional pickling and fermenting techniques used for food preservation.
  • The character carries connotations of both intentional preservation (pickling) and accidental soiling (staining).
  • Historically used in agricultural contexts for describing sediment accumulation in irrigation systems.

FAQ