Mandarin TempleMandarin Temple Beta Come for Knowledge. Stay for Wisdom.
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
洳 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
洳rùsdamp, boggy, marshyx, 9 strokes, radical 氵
洳rùdampunknown, 9 strokes, radical 氵
rù(ru4) T4
  1. 1sdamp, boggy, marshy
  2. 2damp
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

洳rù(ru4)

The character 洳 (rù) refers to something that is damp, boggy, or marshy. It is often used to describe wet, swampy environments or conditions where water accumulates, making the ground soft and muddy. This term is less common in everyday conversation but can be found in literary or descriptive contexts.

Strokes9Radical氵
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, water and marshy areas are often associated with agriculture and the natural landscape, which is crucial for farming practices. Understanding terms like 洳 can provide insight into local geography and environmental discussions.

Memory Tip

Imagine a 'rude' marsh where the ground is so 'damp' that you sink in. The left side of the character, water (氵), hints at its wet meaning, while the right side suggests softness or squishiness. Picture a squishy bog that is hard to walk through to remember 'rù'.

Meanings of 洳

rù(ru4)
1sdamp, boggy, marshy
2damp
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 洳

洳Simplified
9Strokes
氵Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 洳

JasonAmy

Podcast: 洳

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 洳

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 洳 with similar-sounding characters like 入 (rù), which means 'to enter'. It's generally used in more formal or literary contexts, so be cautious when using it in casual conversation. Common collocations might include terms related to geography or nature.

HSK Study Tips

Although 洳 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, understanding it can help learners appreciate descriptive language in Chinese literature. Students should focus on recognizing similar characters with water-related meanings to build their vocabulary around nature and environment.

Common Mistakes

Learners may mistakenly use 洳 in place of 湿 (shī), which means damp but is more commonly used in everyday language. For example, saying '今天天气很洳' (Today's weather is very rù) is incorrect; the correct term would be '湿'.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 洳

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 洳 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Etymology of 洳

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

water

Semantic (meaning)氵
+
Phonetic (sound)如
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 洳

  1. 1The meaning half氵 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half如 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaywater
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 洳? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 洳?

Decomposition of 洳

IDS Structure⿰氵如
洳Full Character
=
氵shui3
left
如ru2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 洳?

How to say sdamp, boggy, marshy in Chinese

“sdamp, boggy, marshy” in Chinese is洳rù

The character 洳 (rù) refers to something that is damp, boggy, or marshy. It is often used to describe wet, swampy environments or conditions where water accumulates, making the ground soft and muddy. This term is less common in everyday conversation but can be found in literary or descriptive contexts.

When to use 洳

Learners often confuse 洳 with similar-sounding characters like 入 (rù), which means 'to enter'. It's generally used in more formal or literary contexts, so be cautious when using it in casual conversation. Common collocations might include terms related to geography or nature.

What learners get wrong

Learners may mistakenly use 洳 in place of 湿 (shī), which means damp but is more commonly used in everyday language. For example, saying '今天天气很洳' (Today's weather is very rù) is incorrect; the correct term would be '湿'.

Write 洳

洳

Practice writing 洳 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 洳

Words Containing This Character1
洳rùdamp
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 洳 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 洳

It means damp, boggy, or marshy, often used to describe wet ground.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 洳?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.