Learn a Chinese Character - 淡 (Dàn) - Light; Faint

1. Character Basics

Radical: 氵（三点水） (Water radical, related to liquid)

Stroke Count: 11 (Number of strokes: 11)

Structure Analysis: 形声字，从氵（与水、液体相关），炎声（yán，表音）。本义指液体或气体浓度低（如“淡水”），引申为不热情（如“冷淡”）、不深刻（如“淡忘”）。(Phonetic-semantic character: "氵" (water radical) + "炎" (phonetic component). Originally means "light in concentration" (e.g., "淡水" - fresh water), extended to "indifferent" (e.g., "冷淡" - cold) or "faint" (e.g., "淡忘" - fade from memory).)

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: Dàn (Fourth tone)

3. Meaning

"淡" mainly means:
1. Adjective: Light in concentration (e.g., "淡水" - fresh water);
2. Adjective: Indifferent (e.g., "冷淡" - cold);
3. Adjective: Faint (e.g., "淡忘" - fade from memory). “淡”主要表示：
1. 形容词：（液体、气体）浓度低（如“淡水”）；
2. 形容词：不热情（如“冷淡”）；
3. 形容词：不深刻（如“淡忘”）。)

4. Common Words

• 淡水 (dàn shuǐ) Fresh water
• 冷淡 (lěng dàn) Cold; Indifferent
• 淡忘 (dàn wàng) Fade from memory
• 淡泊 (dàn bó) Indifferent to fame and gain

5. Grammar & Usage

"淡" is an adjective, often collocating with "水" (water), "冷" (cold), or "忘" (forget) (e.g., "淡水" - fresh water). Modified by adverbs (e.g., "很淡" - very light) or used in idioms (e.g., "淡泊明志" - indifferent to fame to clarify ambition). “淡”多作形容词，常与“水”“冷”“忘”等字搭配（如“淡水”“冷淡”），可受副词修饰（如“很淡”），或用于成语（如“淡泊明志”）。)

6. Cultural Background

"淡泊" is a traditional virtue in Chinese culture, as seen in Zhuge Liang's "非淡泊无以明志" (One cannot clarify ambition without being indifferent to fame). It emphasizes a calm, unpretentious lifestyle. “淡泊”是中国文化中的传统美德，如诸葛亮“非淡泊无以明志”，强调清心寡欲、不慕名利的生活态度。)

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

Associate "淡" with its radical "氵" (water) and "炎" (heat), imagining water being heated to reduce concentration, to remember "light in concentration". Connect with "淡水" to reinforce memory. 联想“淡”的部首“氵”（水）和“炎”（热），想象水被加热后浓度降低，记忆“浓度低”的含义；结合“淡水”强化记忆。)