Chinese Character: 洪
1. Character Basics
Radical: 水/氵/shuǐ (water) + 共/gòng (together)
Stroke Count: 9 strokes
Stroke Order:
2. Pronunciation
Pinyin: Hóng (Second tone)
3. Meaning
Basic Meaning: Flood; great; vast; mighty.
Extended Meanings: Large volume; abundant; powerful; loud.
Additional Notes: Often used to describe large amounts of water or something powerful/abundant.
4. Common Words
- 洪水 (hóng shuǐ): Flood; floodwater. Example: 洪水冲毁了村庄。(The flood destroyed the village.)
- 洪亮 (hóng liàng): Loud and clear. Example: 他的声音很洪亮。(His voice is loud and clear.)
- 洪荒 (hóng huāng): Primordial times;洪荒时代 (the primitive era). Example: 传说在洪荒时代，天地初开。(Legend has it that in the primitive era, heaven and earth were just beginning.)
- 山洪 (shān hóng): Mountain torrent; flash flood. Example: 暴雨引发了山洪。(Heavy rain caused a flash flood.)
- 洪灾 (hóng zāi): Flood disaster. Example: 政府正在组织洪灾救援。(The government is organizing flood disaster relief.)
5. Grammar & Usage
Part of Speech: Mainly used as adjective; can also be part of compound nouns.
Common Usage: Often used to describe large amounts of water, loud sounds, or something vast/powerful.
Common Structures:
- 洪 + [noun]: 洪水 (flood), 洪峰 (flood peak), 洪流 (torrent)
- [noun] + 洪: 山洪 (mountain torrent), 防洪 (flood prevention)
Notes: Can have both natural and metaphorical meanings.
6. Cultural Background
In Chinese culture, "洪" carries significant cultural connotations:
- Natural Symbolism: Represents the power and unpredictability of nature, especially water.
- Historical Significance: Many ancient Chinese myths and legends feature floods, such as the story of Yu the Great taming the floods.
- Cultural Expressions: Used in idioms like 洪福齐天 (extreme good fortune) and 洪钟大吕 (loud and sonorous bells).
- Geographical Influence: China's long history of dealing with river floods has shaped its culture and engineering traditions.
- Modern Context: Continues to be used in environmental protection, disaster prevention, and形容宏大的事物 (describing grand things).
7. Example Sentence
Example 1:
长江洪水泛滥，威胁着沿岸居民的安全。
The Yangtze River flood is threatening the safety of residents along the coast.
Example 2:
他的演讲声音洪亮，充满激情。
His speech voice is loud and clear, full of passion.
Example 3:
我们要做好防洪准备，以应对可能的洪水灾害。
We need to prepare for flood prevention to deal with possible flood disasters.
8. Memory Tips
1. Structure Memory: Remember "洪" as water (氵) together (共) with something big, representing a large amount of water.
2. Sound Association: The pronunciation "hóng" sounds like "洪水" (flood), which is the most common word containing this character.
3. Word Grouping: Group words with "洪" that share similar meanings: 洪水, 洪亮, 洪荒, 山洪, 洪灾.
4. Stroke Order Practice: Focus on the 9 strokes, starting with the water radical (氵) followed by the right part (共).
5. Context Usage: Use the character in sentences describing large bodies of water, loud sounds, or powerful natural phenomena to reinforce memory.