灩 (yàn) - overflowing & billowing

灩Tone 4

yàn ｜ 31 strokes ｜ radical:

嬿一

灩 · yàn

overflowing;

billowing;

rippling;

describes water waves or shimmering reflections;

often used poetically for beautiful, flowing water or brilliant reflections.

overflowingbillowingrippling

Usage highlights

rippling wavesoverflowing winesparkling eyesoverflowing rivershimmering lightbillowing water

Synonyms

  • 瀲— overflowing water; rippling waves
  • 溢— to overflow; to spill over
  • 漾— to ripple; to overflow

Antonyms

  • 涸— dried up; parched
  • 枯— withered; dried

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The lake shimmered with ripples (波光灩灩).
  • Her eyes were bright and sparkling (眼波灩灩).
  • The wine cup was full to overflowing (酒灩).
  • The river overflowed its banks (河水灩溢).

Collocations

  • rippling waves(灩灩)
  • overflowing wine(酒灩)
  • sparkling eyes(眼波灩灩)
  • overflowing river(灩溢)
  • shimmering light(光灩)
  • billowing water(水灩)

Idioms

  • Rippling waves stretching far and wide(灩灩隨波千萬里)
  • The autumn river brims level with its banks(灩灩秋河溢岸平)
  • Sparkling wine in golden cups(金樽酒灩)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Frequently appears in classical Chinese poetry to depict beautiful water scenes and overflowing emotions.
  • The character's complex structure with three 'water' components emphasizes its association with abundant, flowing water.
  • Often used metaphorically for overflowing feelings, brilliant appearances, or abundant blessings.

FAQ